“To play 100 Tests is an incredible feat and it means you’re doing so many things right on and off the field”

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Australia captain Steve Smith has heaped praise on veteran South Africa batsman Hashim Amla ahead of his 100th Test match.

Amla will accomplish the feat when the Proteas face Sri Lanka in the third Test in Johannesburg on Thursday.

Smith recently had the opportunity to play against Amla as South Africa visited Australia for a three-Test series at the end of last year and came out on top 2-1.

Amla, however, only managed to score 98 runs at an average of 19.60, but Smith pointed out that the 33-year-old is capable of bouncing back from his ongoing batting slump, which has seen him fail to score a fifty in his last 10 Test innings, and wished him all the best in his 100th Test.

“To play 100 Tests is an incredible feat and it means you’re doing so many things right on and off the field,” Smith said. “Those are the kind of players that come on once every now and again. He’s done a terrific job for South Africa and we wish him all the best in his 100 Test match and all the bets into the future as well.

“He’s incredibly consistent, he knows his game incredibly well in all conditions and he occupies the crease for long periods of time and scores big scores … he’s everything you want in a Test player.

“Everything I’ve heard is that he’s one of the nicest guys on the cricketing circuit so those are always great things to hear and he’s a quality player as well.”

Amla will become only the eighth South African player in history to feature in 100 Test matches after Jacques Kallis, Mark Boucher, Graeme Smith, Shaun Pollock, AB de Villiers, Gary Kirsten and Makhaya Ntini.