Ali Bacher lauds Graeme Smith – Cricket News Update
Former South Africa skipper, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Aron-Bacher-c45510, on Friday heaped praise on incumbent Graeme Smith, saying that the latter is the strongest on-side player he has ever seen.
"A fiercely strong on-side player, probably the strongest on-side player I have ever seen,” Bacher wrote of Graeme Smith in an article in the daily,
The Star.
“[He] couples this with a penchant for often playing across the line. In all my years of cricket, I cannot recall any international batsman receiving as much comment and even criticism from many international cricketers about his faulty
technique as Smith has had," he added further.
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/GC-Smith-c1473, the 31-year-old top order batsman, hailing from Transvaal, was appointed as South African skipper in 2003, at the age of 22 years and 82 days, making him the then youngest Test captain in the world. Nine years later, he
still remains the youngest ever South African skipper, and the fourth youngest captain internationally.
The gangling left-handed top order batsman, best known for his opening partnerships with http://www.senore.com/Cricket/HH-Gibbs-c1549, is often criticised for his arrogant attitude. Smith’s critiques claim that he has not always had the backing of South African
fans, who sometimes call him harsh and brash.
But Bacher, who played 12 Tests for the Proteas between 1965 and 1970, said that Smith has matured as a leader over the years.
"To me, Smith has always had an Aussie touch to him – mentally very strong, never intimidated by anybody, and calls it as he sees it," Bacher concluded.
To date Smith has led the Proteas in 92 Tests, winning 42 and losing only 26. His captaincy record in the One Day Internationals is equally impressive, where he has won 91 of the 149 ODIs played as skipper, while losing 51.
Currently Smith and men are in http://www.senore.com/Cricket/ICC-World-Cup-2011-c100625 Test rankings table.
The ongoing Test series opener, which started at The Oval on Thursday, is http://www.senore.com/Cricket/South-Africa-c757.
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