Srinagar: South Africa’s all time great batter Hashim Amla has announced his retirement from all forms of professional cricket at the age of 39.
Amla who had retired from International cricket in 2019 continued to play professional cricket. He was recently part of County cricket for Surrey and helped the county side to lift the title.
Amla scored 9,282 runs – second only to Jacques Kallis’ 13,206 – at an average of 46.64 in 124 Tests for South Africa.
He amassed 18,672 in all formats for the Proteas from 2004 to 2019, and no-one has scored more than his 27 one-day centuries for South Africa.
Amla’s 311 not out against England at The Oval in 2012 remains the highest Test score by a South African.
He was part of the Surrey team that won the County Championship in 2022, having retired from international cricket three years earlier.
Amla averaged 49.46 in 181 one-day internationals and 33.60 in 44 T20 internationals, and ends his first-class career with 19,521 runs at an average of 48.55.
“I have great memories of the Oval ground and to finally leave it as a player fills me with immense gratitude for what has been,” Amla was quoted by ESPNCricinfo.
“A sincere thank you to Alec Stewart and the entire Surrey staff, players and Members for their support. The Surrey ship runs so professionally that it would make any international player feel a sense of honour just to be involved with”.
“I wish them all the best and many more trophies.”
Stewart, who has worked with Amla throughout his spells at Surrey, described Amla as a “true professional and a great of the game”.
“Everyone at Surrey County Cricket Club will be sad to see Hashim retire, but we all applaud what has been a phenomenal career. He will quite rightly go down as a great of the game,” Stewart said.