Top-order batsman upbeat ahead of the Champions Trophy campaign

I think in terms of the Champions Trophy, we’ve always had a good, competitive team. Teams with high quality players. However, I do think this team has been together for the past few years and is in a good space. I don’t want to talk too much of the rankings, because that all sounds too familiar, but the team is in a good space. We’re going over early to gain maximum preparation time by playing a couple of warm-up games against the counties before a three-match series against England to acclimatise ourselves to the conditions. We’ve managed to link up well over the years. We’re actually quite similar in many ways that we don’t allow many things to faze us. When we out in the middle, we chat about normal things that any opening pair discuss, like the pitch conditions etc. I think that’s going to be key in England, in regards to how we assess the conditions.

There is a feeling that pitches will do quite a bit because we’re in England, and the fact there’s two new balls, Yes, we’ve won and lost matches at The Oval. But I’ve got really good memories of The Oval. It’s not only the 300 … I also played a couple of matches for Surrey in the past, so I know the ground fairly well. I always enjoy coming back to The Oval because it’s a ground that’s is conducive to positive stroke play. It’s also a very nice ground to play at, because I always find there to be a great atmosphere and vibe in the ground, which is quite different from Lord’s. It’s not about that for me at all. Cricket is something I enjoy being a part of. The enjoyment comes from playing in winning, successful teams. I have never played the game to prove a point to people. My determination to improve in various formats the longer I play the game keeps it exciting for me. It has been very exciting. Last year I played for a couple of weeks, this year I’ve been there almost the entire season. I believe you can never be complete as a cricketer and that’s a challenge that motivates me to keep improving myself and that gives me great joy. Playing with different players and coaches in a really professional environment keeps me going. It’s also great to have a guy like (Proteas teammate) Davey Miller around. Everybody who plays T20 cricket has to find a way of how to maximise each ball they faces. You will find many examples of better cricketers who have been successful in T20 cricket without necessarily looking agricultural, as they say. They have played good cricketing shots and managed to get runs. I’ve been fortunate to play quite a bit of cricket around the world which has given me experiences about cricket and things outside the game. I’d like to pass on some of these learnings to someone less fortunate or anyone else who is keen to learn from my experience. If we are to get children playing and enjoying cricket, which can benefit our society in the long run, then we’re on to something.

LEADING BY EXAMPLE: Hashim Amla with young cricketers at his cricket academy in Durban.