It was truly an honour to witness the legend that is Hashim Amla in action, writes Naeemah Benjamin.

The Mighty Hash, The Silent Warrior, The Bearded genius. Amla has many nicknames but he will always be remembered by me as a master of his craft.

My heart is broken as we bid farewell to yet another legend of the game.

There are quite a few standout moments that many will remember for decades – such as the triple century at the Oval in England, the double century against India in Nagpur or his hundred in Australia which resulted in him becoming the No-1 ranked Test batsmen in the world.

But ultimately my favourite Amla moments were every single time he came to the crease

He just went about his business in the calmest fashion and you just knew it was time to kick back and admire the brilliance of the Mighty Hash.

It was hard to watch his slow demise in cricket over the last season and a half. We were richly accustomed to runs every time he walked out to the middle and watching him struggle was a sight for sore eyes.

He’ll retire as one of the greatest South African batsmen in history.

It truly was an honour being able to witness a legend like Amla.

Photo: ICC/Twitter