Amla aiming for one-day consistency

Hashim Amla, the South African middle-order batsman, is hoping his domestic limited-overs form can get him a spot to the Caribbean for next year's World Cup. The second-highest run-scorer in the MTN Domestic Championship with 430 runs at 43.00, Amla has been rewarded with a place in the Rest of South Africa team to play the Indians in their opening fixture at Benoni on Thursday.

Amla, 23, was confident of his game coming together at the right time. "I know people think of me mainly as a Test and four-day player, but I can score at a reasonably quick rate in the one-day game," he told the Independent Online. "I try to play my normal game [batting at three for the Dolphins], but as my team-mates always tell me, I'm not the most conventional batsman and I do manage to hit the ball in some unusual areas."

With two hundreds and two half-centuries at home, Amla believed he had acquitted himself well to the shorter version of the game. "It would be a huge honour to be included [in the World Cup squad]," he said, "but all I want to do right now is take it game by game and play well for the Dolphins."

Mickey Arthur, South Africa's coach, even text-messaged Amla from India after he notched up his second hundred in the domestic championship.

Amla looked to Thursday's match against the Indians with anticipation: "It's a big game for me, but we can also do the national team a favour by putting the Indians under pressure at the start of their tour."