Is South Africa's Amla the best ODI batsman in modern cricket?

Hashim Amla is set to become the best ODI batsman of all time. Here’s how…

South Africa Test team captain Hashim Amla is very close to a landmark that would confirm him as one of the best One-Day International batsmen of all time.

Amla has moved to within only 210 runs of 5,000 in the ODI format, and if he plays to roughly his statistical performance level in the five-match away series against Australia shortly, he might get there during the course of these November assignments.

If the South Africa opener does, there is every chance of him joining the club of batsmen with the best ever average.

He currently averages a sublime 54.43 from 98 ODIs having scored 4,790 runs.

The weightiest ODI runs-scorer in history, Indian maestro Sachin Tendulkar, who has scored 18,426 in a monstrous 463 appearances, lags some 10 runs behind Amla in average terms – Tendulkar finished his career with an average of 44.83.

Second-placed Australian great Ricky Ponting, who amassed 13,704 in 375 matches, averaged 42.03, and Sri Lanka's Sanath Jayasuriya in third, with 13,430 in 445 games, had an average of 32.36.

Only four batsmen to have gone past the 5,000-run mark average 50 or more -- India's captain MS Dhoni, with 8,192 runs at 52.85, Amla's teammate and ODI skipper AB de Villiers, with 6,939 runs at 51.02, retired Australia finisher Michael Bevan, with 6,912 runs at 53.58, and Virat Kohli, with 5,879 at 51.57.

However, Amla is even more handsomely on course for another key, 5,000 runs-related landmark, to become the fastest batsman to get there in innings terms.

The landmark is jointly held by West Indies legend Sir Vivian Richards and current Indian strokeplayer Kohli, each having got there in 114 innings, but Amla has thus far played only 95 ODI knocks.

So, tell us, dear readers, is Hashim Amla the best ODI batsmen in modern cricket?

Image: Hashim Amla of South Africa

Photograph: Hannah Peters/Getty Images