South African legend Hashim Amla has announced his retirement from all forms of cricket after an illustrious career.

Following his retirement from the international game in 2019, Amla joined Surrey and retires after helping them win the County Championship last season.

Amla said on the Surrey website: “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.”

He is South Africa’s second-highest test run scorer of all time with 9,282 and racked up a staggering 18,672 international runs.

His affinity for Surrey and the Kia Oval was not limited to his three spells at the club, having previously played in 2013 and 2014, but also became South Africa’s first triple-centurion at the ground in 2012.  

There have been several tributes to him on Twitter from his former Surrey teammates and from Alec Stewart who was glowing in his statement.

He said: “Everyone at Surrey County Cricket Club will be sad to see Hashim retire, but we all applaud what has been a phenomenal career.

“He will quite rightly go down as a great of the game.”

Amla is currently the batting coach of the MI Cape town in South Africa’s new franchise tournament, SA20, as he shifts into the next stage of his career full-time.