As a household name in the world of cricket, Hashim Amla almost needs no introduction after signing for Derbyshire for a spell this summer.
A South Africa Test stalwart for over ten years, Amla appears to revel when batting in pressure situations and can be difficult to get out. He proved this in 2012 when he batted for almost two days against England at the Kia Oval, eventually finishing on an incredible 311 not out – the highest Test score by a South African.
A quiet man, there is no doubting Amla’s immense hunger for runs. His impact for the national side was immediate as he reeled off four centuries in his first eight innings of the 2004-05 season, after being appointed Captain of the Dolphins at the age of 21.
Amla instantly hit the ground running after being drafted in the South Africa ODI side in 2008 and has since become the fastest player to score 20 ODI centuries.
His biggest year in international cricket was in 2010, when he was outstanding in both Tests and ODIs, scoring over 1,000 runs in both formats at averages of over 75.
In a hugely successful career, he has now racked up almost 7,000 Test runs as well as 5,692 ODI runs, both at averages well above 50.
He has also proved himself to be very good in English conditions having scored four centuries during international fixtures in England, including that memorable 311 not out.
As of 2015, Amla is eighth on the list of century-makers in international cricket, having scored a combined total of 43 hundreds for his country.
