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HASHIM AMLA: FROM UNCONVENTIONAL BATTING LEGEND TO T20 COACHING MAESTRO
Hashim Amla’s batting technique would not be found in the MCC manual. It was unconventional to say the least, with the high back lift coming down from the point region and complemented by a crouching stance.
It was used as a tool to dissect Amla’s early setbacks in international cricket. But all the detractors were converted into his biggest supporters when the runs began to flow effortlessly off his bat.
It culminated in close to 19 000 international runs with Amla’s status as all-time Proteas legend and ICC Hall of Fame inductee [alongside Betway SA20 League Commissioner Graeme Smith] confirmed.
Amla has taken this experience into his coaching career, where he is the batting coach at MI Cape Town, as he navigates the terrain of guiding both experienced superstars and rising stars.
“It's understanding that that is T20 cricket, you have your experienced players and having a group of players to work with, with a mixture of experience and inexperience, that's how you get the learning to improve and increase the cricket,” Amla said at the 'SA20 India Day’ in Mumbai.
“The important thing is to not bring my style into T20 because every player has their own style that they can bring into T20 cricket and make themselves successful and make their team successful.
“I try and look at each player individually and how we can maximise their potential in their format because we know T20 is an adapting format over the years where we've seen scores get higher but to never lose that type of adaptability within their minds to be able to handle T20 cricket as well as other formats.”
During Amla’s playing career, he transitioned from being viewed as a “Test specialist” into one of South Africa’s most successful white-ball batters and constantly worked at his game to expand his shot repertoire, especially for the demands of maximising the Powerplay in T20 cricket.
The 42-year-old feels the shortest format has advanced at such a rapid rate that batters are all now readily equipped with the various shots required to be successful, and that it’s now more the decision-making process and providing players with the belief to back their instinct.
“Players that end up coming into the franchise system generally have these shots already under their belt and which is really helpful and beneficial for the team and for themselves. I don't think that these shots are innovative anymore, I think they're just part and parcel of the game,” Amla said.
“The important part is when to play it and managing all these shots because sometimes the most difficult thing is to choose which is the right shot when you have so many options.
“You have to also trust the players to make mistakes because they will make mistakes and most people after they make a mistake and they go to an analysis of it, there's a better chance of not making that mistake again.”
MI Cape Town’s maiden Betway SA20 title success last season was built upon their experienced top order consisting of the prolific opening pair of Ryan Rickelton and Rassie van der Dussen along with No 3 Reeza Hendricks providing the platform for young Dewald Brevis to provide the fireworks at the death.
Hashim Amla has proved a fantastic soundboard for the likes of Ryan Rickelton in his role as MI Cape Town batting coach
The top three will once again pad up in the blue and gold this coming season, but Brevis will be a notable omission after being signed for a record R16.5 million by the Pretoria Capitals at the Season 4 Player Auction.
Amla feels that the defending champions have though managed to secure another explosive batter in Jason Smith. The Proteas allrounder recently showed off his big-hitting prowess in the CSA T20 Challenge with an exhilarating 68 not out off just 19 balls, which included two boundaries and nine sixes.
“By and large most of our team is similar to what we had last year, so I've had the great fortune of working with a lot of those players. We've got a few new acquisitions, I'd say somebody like Jason Smith who has played for South Africa before, it's wonderful to have him in our set-up and I'm looking forward to working with him,” Amla said.
“You may not necessarily have to have long conversations about technical aspects of the game, but particularly in T20 cricket, if you observe how a player goes through a situation and that player is similar to you, batting in a similar position, then you can quickly take that into your own game.”
MI Cape Town will face Durban’s Super Giants in the Betway SA20 Season 4 opener at Newlands on Boxing Day in Cape Town.
