No beer money in Amla’s coffers, By Iqbal Khan

Hashim Amla, the Muslim Protea who does not wear a Castle logo on his cricket shirt, on Sunday said that he did not pocket a cent from his match fee.

Nor did he profit from his share of money pooled from awards that the team won in Test matches.

But Amla, 26, a veteran of 38 Tests who was granted permission by South African Breweries and Cricket South Africa not to wear the Castle logos on his clothing in five-day matches, refused to comment further on wearing the sponsors’ logos and utilisation of earnings from Test matches.

Promoting beer is against the teaching of Islam and as such Amla became the first player to be the exception.

On Sunday the batsman referred the Daily News newspaper to his agent, Ismail Kajee, when he was asked to comment on his financial gains from Test matches.

Kajee categorically said: “Hashim does not and will not at any time in his career consume the earnings from Test matches.”

As a Muslim, Amla was forbidden liquor or to take interest money or gamble, Kajee said.

“Since Hashim is a devout Muslim, he understands his religion well, his beliefs are staunch and knows what is right and wrong. At the outset he made the decision not to wear the Castle logo on his clothing, which went public, and at the same time he also took the decision that the money earned from the Tests, sponsored by Castle, were forbidden for his use.

“The money has been given away – Islam teaches us to give it away without having to make a song and dance of it.”

Kajee, also a devout Muslim, said that he, too, did not derive a cent from Amla’s Test earnings.

“As an agent I do not take a commission from the revenue that Hashim earns in Test matches. The money earned from the Castle Tests is not pure, according to our Islamic beliefs, and as such I also am forbidden to use it,” he said.

“I cannot give you any figures as to how much Hashim has earned since his first Test for South Africa. It’s not something we are proud of – the money is dispensed as soon as it comes in.

“I think the bottom line is that everyone wants to know how much he takes from the Test matches, or have been keen to find out whether he uses money from the Castle Tests while not wearing their logos in matches. The questions are now answered well.”

Mohammed Moosajee, manager of the Proteas, and Goolam Rajah, the logistics manager, also do not personally pocket any money from the Castle Tests.

Moosajee and Rajah, like Amla, do not wear the Castle logos on their clothing during the five-day game. Moosajee, who referred the Daily News to Amla’s agent on Sunday, said: “We do not get any share of prize-money from the Castle Tests.”