Du Plessis backs Amla to regain form

Struggling South African batting star Hashim Amla will return to his number three position in the first Test against Pakistan, starting at SuperSport Park on Wednesday, with the full backing of captain Faf du Plessis.

“Hash has been our rock at number three,” said Du Plessis ahead of a series featuring two strong bowling attacks and two potentially fragile batting lineups. Du Plessis acknowledged that Amla, 35, had slipped from his previous high standards, scoring only 444 runs at an average of 23.36 since his last century, against Bangladesh in October 2017. Amla was moved down to number four in the order for South Africa’s most recent Test, against Sri Lanka in Colombo in July, with Theunis de Bruyn filling the number three slot and making a century.