Social media comes down hard at Hashim Amla as his poor run continues

Veteran South African batsman Hashim Amla failed yet another time on Wednesday when he got dismissed for eight in the first innings of the first Test against Pakistan in Centurion. The 35-year-old, who has been one of the Proteas’ most prolific scorers with nearly 18,000 international runs, has been struggling with the bat of late and it has given rise to a call for his retirement on social media.

Amla came back to the No.3 position in Centurion but yet failed to reach the two-figure mark. South African captain Faf du Plessis has though backed Amla but conceded that the latter has seen a slide compared to the high standards he had set previously. The right-hander who is less than 1,000 runs short of the 10,000 runs club in Tests, has scored only 444 runs since his last century against Bangladesh in October 2017. His average in this year-plus time has been a poor 23.36.

Amla failed in the first innings against Pakistan

Amla was even moved to No.4 in South Africa’s previous Test series which was against Sri Lanka and according to du Plessis, it was done deliberately to see the team using Amla’s experience to tackle the spin bowlers. Amla’s form has been so poor (74 runs in seven games) that he was even dropped by his franchise in the local Mzansi Super League Durban Heat.

He though showed some form in the 4-day Franchise Series for the Cape Cobras against the Warriors with a half-century in the second innings earlier this month.

That innings also made Faf hopeful about Amla and he had said: “What is important is time in the middle. Hashim knows he hasn’t scored the amount of runs he would have liked in the last year but it’s a new season and he’s fresh, coming off a fifty. It is important for him to get off to a good start in this series, just to settle the nerves and be confident. Hashim technically he is one of the most sound players in the world.”

Amla’s low score in the first innings of the Pakistan Test will nevertheless embolden his critics again.

Here is how Twitterati reacted to his poor run of form:

Dear Hashim Amla we love you but with all due respect please retire now, I am begging you my Idol.💔

It hurt even more to see you suffer like this, please do us a favour and call it quits before World Cup next year. Let the new talent continue with this journey#PAKvSA #Proteas

— KingDassor® (@Gatsheni_Siboh) December 26, 2018

Hashim Amla must retire. He's now a liability to the Proteas batting. Past his sell by date. #SSCricket #SAvPAK

— Slo Gov (@SLOGANGOV) December 26, 2018

Hashim Amla should jst retire when was the last time he scored BIG ?#SAvPAK

— Lutho Mr-webi (@2freshLu) December 26, 2018

#SAvPAK To be honest, Hashim Amla's glory days are well behind him. Great batsman overall but at the moment he is in poor form and his cricket is going south

— Mafu (@mafuza_theking) December 26, 2018

You could almost say Dale Steyn is batting better than Hashim Amla. #SAvPAK

— Lindani (@KhuhlaseKhondlo) December 26, 2018

Hashim Amla has gone 20 innings without a hundred in Tests. The second-longest century drought of his career after 23 inns between between 2006 and 2007. #RSAvPak

— Mazher Arshad (@MazherArshad) December 26, 2018

Hashim Amla's retirement should be pretty imminent now #SAvPAK

— Gontse Matea (@Gontse_Matea) December 26, 2018

The bell is ringing for Hashim Amla, he's been far too terible for far too long. #savpak

— Lindani (@KhuhlaseKhondlo) December 26, 2018

Hashim Amla has been off form for the past two years now#SAvPAK#PAKvSA
#

— CITAMGINE ® (@tman_so_godly) December 26, 2018

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