Cape Town - England captain Alastair Cook was sad to learn of Hashim Amla's resignation as Proteas Test captain.
Amla dropped the bombshell shortly after the conclusion of the drawn second Test between South Africa and England at Newlands on Wednesday.
"You're under pressure as a captain for a lot of the time," Cook was quoted as saying by BBC Sport.
"It's always sad when someone steps down because to captain your country is a huge honour and a real privilege.
"He'll have his reasons and I wish him all the best - he's a really nice guy."
Amla, who scored a double hundred in the match at Newlands, said he "remained committed" to representing his country across all formats.
He took charge of 14 matches in that time - winning four, losing four and drawing six.
Proteas team management also revealed that AB de Villiers would take over the captaincy for the remainder of the series.