Hamza, replaced the Proteas captain, Faf du Plessis, during the third Test against Pakistan, and scored 41 and a duck on debut.

With Du Plessis back following his one-Test suspension, Theunis de Bruyn is set to be the match to make way in the Proteas batting line-up.

After having his first taste of the sport at the highest possible level, Hamza feels that he is ready for more Test cricket.

“There was respect for the opposition, but for me, at the end of the day, it was all about playing each on merit.

“Fortunately there were a couple of bad balls which I could pounce on.

I enjoy it, but the intensity was at a high level, but I enjoyed that because that brings out the competitive nature in both bowler and batsman.

“The adrenalin helped with the intensity levels.

The first Test between South Africa and Sri Lanka at Kingsmead starts on Wednesday.

@MorganPiek OFM Sport