Graeme Smith quitting T20 captaincy
Graeme Smith is without a doubt South Africa’s most prolific captain. He was handed the captaincy at http://www.senore.com/Cricket/A-Young-c41367 age of 22 following a brief stint by Shaun Pollock. If Pollock and Cronje were mature and thoughtful as captain, South Africa looked for something more than that. They sought for someone who was young, ambitious and had the ability to lead South Africa from the front. Bingo! Smith came to the international scene with a bang and soon found South Africa's management willing to turn him into a captain.
Smith was overgrown bully on the field and expected his players to follow him in his stride. After years of team work and cohesion, South Africa truly respects Smith as their captain.
This was most amply demonstrated when Smith scored successive double centuries in England in just his 3rd and 4th matches as captain. Since then, there has been no looking back and Smith has lead one of the most successful giants in international cricket. His tactics are all about being on the offence and attacking the opposition. As one expert cites, “The subtleties of captaincy have grown into his game, but he is still at his most comfortable surging once more unto the breach himself with a cursory backward glance to see if his men are following.”
Graeme has for sure led the team by his example. He has been part of three of the four greatest opening partnerships for South Africa where he set the record for the highest opening partnership in Test cricket against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Gibbs-c60021.
Graeme Smith has had a good T20 record with the South African side performing relatively well, however failing to make it into the finals of the T20 World Cup. The next T20 Cup is set to be played in 2012 and this would give the South African team a good chance to develop under the new captain. However, there are not many options available to the South African side as far as captaincy options are concerned. It is most likely be http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Johan-Botha-c67173 who will lead the South African side as captain.
Graeme Smith has been captain of the South African squad since 2003, captaining the side in all formats of the game. He has surely led by example and following the retirement of Hansie Cronje and Shaun Pollock, Graeme has provided South Africa with a steady base to establish themselves as cricketing giants. He has led the team to many successive wins, including the world record 7 consecutive wins in T20 matches in 2009.
Maybe this time round, Graeme wants to focus more on his future plans and life, wishing to focus simply on the ODI format of the game and lead South Africa to the World Cup in 2011. The decision to quit T20 captaincy could come in the wake of South African teams preparations for the upcoming ODI World Cup which http://www.senore.com/Cricket/South-Africa-c757 has never won. Maybe, before his retirement, Graeme Smith hopes to get his hands on the ICC silverware for South Africa which Hansie Cronje’s side almost achieved in the 1999 World Cup.
Graeme Smith is without a doubt one of the finest captains the cricketing world has seen, and cricket fans hope to see more quality cricket from the South African captain and the team. Fans will be hoping that they finally get their hands on the ultimate trophy as one expert observes, “his achievements as a batsman are significant, but the most important monument to his career is the fact that under Smith, the confidence of South Africans, both within and outside of the national team and its structures, has been rebuilt.”
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