Hashim Amla calls Mohammad Asif the ‘best fast bowler’ ever

South Africn veteran batsman Hashim Amla has termed Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Asif as the ‘best fast bowler’ the Proteas batting giant ‘ever faced’.

“Mohammad Asif is the best one. I know he got banned for match-fixing but at that stage, he was the best fast-bowler I’ve ever faced. He was not that quick, bowling around 135kph maybe, but his accuracy was phenomenal,” said Amla in an interview.

The former Proteas captain recounted his experience saying, "He landed on first stump and I didn't know the ball was nipping away or nipping in. He tested your defences. And funny enough as the years have gone by, meeting other cricketers around the world, so many guys say exactly the same thing. They said Muhammad Asif [was] the magician of the ball.”

Amla is not the first batsman to applaud Asif’s bowling ability. Earlier, former English batsman Kevin Pietersen also called him as the best bowler he has ever faced.

Asif, who is considered among the best bowlers of his generation, was exceptional with the new ball. However, his rising international career came to an abrupt halt, after he was found involved in the infamous 2010 spot-fixing scandal.

Asif alongside then captain Salman Butt and fellow fast bowler Mohammad Amir were found involved the scandal, with Asif getting banned for seven years by the International Cricket Council.