It is not only England’s Premiership football clubs who are currently actively involved in the transfer market, but so too the cricket counties are looking to land the prized scalp of Hashim Amla on a Kolpak deal.
It is understood that South Africa’s star batsman has been approached by various counties, among them a London-based club, to prolong his playing career on the English county circuit.
It has already been reported Proteas fast bowler Morne Morkel has been lined up by Warwickshire, among others, to follow the likes of Hampshire duo Kyle Abbott and Rilee Rossouw, Stiaan van Zyl (Sussex) and Dane Vilas (Lancashire), who have all recently forgone their international careers in favour of lucrative long-term county contracts.
While they are all significant losses – or potentially in Morkel’s case – to the national team’s cause, none are even comparable to Amla’s stature should the 34-year-old retire from international cricket.
Amla is the premier batsman in the Proteas Test side, having accumulated 8281 runs in 107 Tests, at an average of 49.00. The former Test skipper also holds the record for the highest score (311 not out) by a South African in Test cricket.
Equally, he has 7 186 runs in 156 ODI matches at an average of 50.25. Incidentally, he is also the fastest to reach 2 000, 3 000, 4 000, 5 000, 6 000 and 7 000 ODI runs after recently breaking Virat Kohli’s record.
Amla has previously stated his still has the desire to have one final crack at the 2019 World Cup in England with the Proteas.
However, he would no doubt have given serious thought to pursuing a Kolpak career after the recent failed England tour.
The Proteas Test side are in a state of transition with current England bowling coach Ottis Gibson reportedly set to take over from Russell Domingo as head coach shortly.
Although Amla is known to be a keen supporter of Gibson’s coaching style, it is well-documented that Amla developed a strong bond with Domingo over the years, often saying “the coaching staff has been as good a coaching staff that I’ve had in all my years.”
With Domingo likely to exit the national team, Amla could view this period as the ideal time for a fresh start for him too.
Equally, the less-pressured environment of county cricket could be attractive to Amla at this stage of his career. Not only does he have a young family to consider, with a third child having been born recently, the Proteas Test opening combination is not functioning at the moment.
This has routinely forced Amla to virtually open the innings and play in a role that goes against his natural attacking abilities. This has led to a profound impact on his success over the past couple of years, with Amla’s own high-level performances dropping as a result.
Proteas legend Allan Donald has recently pleaded with Morkel not to sign a Kolpak deal, begging Cricket South Africa to “give him what he wants” because “we need him this summer”.
With powerhouses such as India and Australia set to visit South African shores, expect similar talks to be had with Amla over the course of the next few weeks in the boardrooms of CSA.
The only consolation for CSA may be that Amla has committed to the Global T20 League where he is currently the marquee player of the Kingsmead-based Durban Qalandars. The GL T20 is set to get underway in November.
Amla has previously enjoyed county stints as overseas player for English teams Essex and Surrey, particularly enjoying his time at the latter due to the “vibe” and “atmosphere” at The Oval.