Former Proteas captain Graeme Smith paid a handsome tribute to recently retired teammate Hashim (Hash) Amla, saying he was the rock of SA's batting during his time as captain.
Smith, who retired in March 2014, captained the national team since 2003.
The 36-year-old Amla, who retired on Thursday, made his debut under Smith's captaincy against India in Kolkata in 2004. Amla's retirement follows that of Dale Steyn, who hung up his boots on Tuesday after an equally stellar career.
They both made their Test debuts in 2004 and while their early international forays weren't successful, they came of age in the 2005/6 Test series against New Zealand.
Steyn took 16 scalps, setting him on his way to SA's Test record of 439. Amla was SA's top run getter in a difficult early autumn series for batsmen with 233 runs, but also scored the first of his 28 Test tons in the drawn second Test at Newlands. They never looked back from that series, with Smith watching Amla's ground-breaking 149 from the other end.
"He had a hunger for runs. He never got bored and he had an ability for runs. We had so many players who were hungry, had the skills and were never satisfied. Hash was so huge for us at No 3 from that perspective.
"When you build a Test team, you look for No 3 as they're part of your engine room. When the top three get going, it frees up the rest of the team.
Amla's role at No3 was pivotal to our success
— Graeme Smith
"I still remember the 2006 Newlands Test against New Zealand where Amla made 149 and stayed in the team since then. I often rib Scott Styris, who dropped Amla in that game, saying that he turned him into a great. I was batting with him on a difficult wicket in that game and he never looked back. It was him feeling that he belonged and indeed he did after that game"
Amla and Steyn were critical cogs in SA's Test cricket machine that spluttered in 2006, but became the cream of the crop from 2008 onwards.
They both played critical roles in SA's outstanding 2008, where England and Australia were felled in their back yards. Amla played an understated hand in the Lord's 2008 Test that led to SA's success.Having being bowled out for 247 in response to England's massive 593/8 declared in the first Test at Lord's, Amla's unbeaten 242-ball 104 was one of three second-innings tons that steered SA to safety.
The following two wins at Leeds and Birmingham confirmed SA's first Test series win in England since 1965. Amla saved his historic best for the English four years later. In the first Test at the Oval, Amla became the first SA batsman to score a Test triple hundred. Amla's undefeated 311 remains the highest Test score by a South African, and Smith was a passenger in the innings.
Amla also made a series-deciding 121 in the third Test at Lord's to help SA win their second consecutive series in England. Later that year, in Perth, Amla's rapid-fire 196 secured the same series result against Australia.
"In this Test, Alviro Petersen got out early. The ball was swinging, but we got through that evening together and a day later, he'd made 300," Smith said.
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