Amla excited to be part of ‘something special’
HASHIM AMLA is one of the few current international cricketers left who can fondly recall playing in Pakistan.
No major nation has toured Pakistan since 2009 after a bus carrying the Sri Lankan team was fired upon by 12 gunmen near the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. Only Zimbabwe have visited since, the African nation playing two T20s and three ODIs in Lahore in 2015.
But Amla, along with fellow Proteas Faf du Plessis, David Miller, Morne Morkel and Pakistani-born Imran Tahir, are part of a World XI to play a historic three-match T20 series in Lahore this week.
The former Test captain was part of a victorious Proteas team that famously claimed a 1-0 series victory on Pakistan soil in 2007. The Proteas also went on to win the five-match ODI series 3-2.
“I have good memories of playing there and we managed to win that (Test) series when not many teams could do it. The crowd made the atmosphere great,” said Amla, who struck 71 in the first innings of the first Test in Karachi.
Amla has since played Pakistan regularly at their neutral “home base” in the United Arab Emirates. Even in the UAE, Pakistan still receive fanatical support from the expat community.
“Pakistani supporters are fantastic wherever we have been in the world and they have been outstanding whenever we played them. Even when playing in neutral venues, the fans made it look like it is their home game. We are all really excited to get to Pakistan and be part of something special – of introducing international cricket slowly and safely back in Pakistan,” Amla said.
It all set up for an exciting challenge between a team led by Proteas captain Du Plessis that will include fellow internationals such as Samuel Badree and Darren Sammy from the West Indies (both double World T20 winners), as well as George Bailey, Ben Cutting and Tim Paine from Australia.
Fellow former World T20 winners like England’s Paul Collingwood and Sri Lanka’s Thisara Perera have also been included along with New Zealand’s Grant Elliot and Bangladesh’s Tamim Iqbal. The team will be coached by former Zimbabwe star Andy Flower.
Although Pakistan are likely to be without their ICC Champions Trophy final hero Mohammed Amir due to his wife set to give birth to their first child, the hosts are still set to field a formidable XI.
Amir is one of many Pakistani cricketers who have yet to play any international cricket on home soil, with the left-armer having made his debut at the World T20 in England just a few months after the 2009 terror attacks.
“We have a very good team. I have played with our captain Faf du Plessis and three other South African players (Miller, Tahir and Morkel),” Amla said.
“We have got quality in other international players. So we have a really good team, but Pakistan are a quality team too. So hopefully it will be (a) closely contested series.
“They being the Champions Trophy winners, they have always been a commendable team in T20. It is going to be really exciting and I think everybody will enjoy the competition and the atmosphere. Since we (Proteas) played against Pakistan in the Champions Trophy we have played against everyone in their team.”
Significantly there are no Indian players in the World XI for the three-match T20 series, which has international status. It begins today, with the next two matches to be played on 13 and 15 September.
All three games will be held in Lahore.