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Amla is likely to miss the second Test against Pakistan

South Africa batsman Hashim Amla is set to miss the second Test against Pakistan in Dubai after flying home to be with his wife for the birth of their second child.

The Proteas will sorely miss Amla as he was easily their best batsman in the first Test, where he scored a sensational 118 in the first innings.

“[Hashim] Amla flew back to South Africa on Friday morning for the birth of his second child,” a South Africa team statement said. “His wife is expected to give birth soon.”

After losing the first Test by seven wickets, Amla noted that he has confident the Proteas will be fully prepared in time for the next Test.

“We’ll probably have a few net sessions, but the biggest change will be mental,” Amla said prior to his departure. “We know where we went wrong and this team is without a doubt a fantastic team. We take a lot of pride from our performance and this loss hurt, we set high standards for ourselves.”

It is understood that South Africa will not call up a replacement for Amla.