'I salute you my friend': AB de Villiers pens emotional note as Hashim Amla announces retirement

Former South African cricketer AB de Villiers penned an emotional tribute to his teammate Hashim Amla, who recently announced his retirement from all forms of cricket. De Villiers expressed his admiration for Amla's immense contribution to the game, noting that his presence in the team will be sorely missed. 

Hashim Amla, widely regarded as one of South Africa's greatest batters, has confirmed that he will not be returning to Surrey for the County Championship. The 39-year-old has achieved remarkable success in his career, amassing an impressive 34,104 runs across all formats, including first-class. He has scored an impressive 9,282 runs in 124 Tests between 2004-2019, making him the second-highest run-scorer for South Africa, behind only Jacques Kallis.

"Hashim Amla.. where do I start?! Not easy. Might take me a few days, weeks, months, years. I can literally write a book about you," de Villiers tweeted.

"Humaam, thank you for always being there for me. You’ve always been a brother who made me feel safe in so many ways. Your journey wasn’t easy. “The guy with the weird technique”. “He’ll never last”. “He’ll never be consistent”.

Hashim Amla.. where do I start?! Not easy. Might take me a few days, weeks, months, years.

I can literally write a book about you.

Humaam, thank you for always being there for me. You’ve always been a brother who made me feel safe in so many ways.

— AB de Villiers (@ABdeVilliers17) January 18, 2023

"But then, in your own very unique way, you just walked out there, time and time again and just batted, like only you can. Calm, composed, consistent, gutsy, skilful and humble, always for the team, for your country. You inspired me in a way I can’t explain.

"So, today, I salute you my friend. You served the game to perfection! We can all learn from that. I did. I wish I could bat with you one more time," de Villiers added.

Amla amassed 8,113 runs, including 27 centuries, in 181 One Day Internationals (ODIs), and 1,277 runs in 44 Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is). After South Africa's campaign at the 2019 World Cup concluded, he retired from international cricket.

He rejoined Surrey later that year, having also represented the county as an overseas player in 2013 and 2014, as well as stints with Derbyshire, Hampshire, Nottinghamshire, and Essex. Additionally, he represented Kings XI Punjab in the Indian Premier League, as well as Kwa-Zulu Natal Dolphins and Cape Cobras in South Africa's domestic competitions. His impressive career has seen him traverse the globe, playing for some of the most prestigious teams in the world

"I have great memories of the Oval ground and to finally leave it as a player fills me with immense gratitude for what has been," Amla said.

"A sincere thank you to Alec Stewart and the entire Surrey staff, players and Members for their support. The Surrey ship runs so professionally that it would make any international player feel a sense of honour just to be involved with.

"I wish them all the best and many more trophies."

READ| South African great Hashim Amla announces retirement from all forms of cricket