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Could Graeme Smith break all captaincy records?

Richard

Cricket Web Staff Member
Smith is currently captaining South Africa for the 50th time(inclusive of substandard sides). He has not yet reached his 27th birthday, and as such could easily play Tests for another 10 years - maybe even longer if things were to go well. By the end of this series against West Indies (provided he's fit for all games) he'll be 1 behind the SA record of Hansie Cronje. Before this season's out - again given full fitness - he'll be beyond the tallies of Cronje, Michael Atherton, Arjuna Ranatunga and Stephen Waugh. Clive Lloyd and Allan Border remain a fair way ahead yet on 74 and 93, and the man I had assumed would break all records long before Smith - Stephen Fleming - has now been stalled on 80 (inclusive of substandard sides).

So will Smith last to be the first to captain 100 Tests? Or will someone replace him? If so, having been appointed at 22, what would the feeling be then?
 

gettingbetter

State Vice-Captain
I saw the pre-game chat about Smith captaining his 50th Test, it is quite amazing, I think he's only played 8 Tests as a non-captain. But with Smith, I'm not too sure, as you pointed out, time is definetely on his side, but his form over the last two years has been falling away - if it dips below 40, watch out, especially considering how high it once was.

Things in his favour though is that he is actually a good captain, his tactics are right and he does try to go for a result (as seen in the Sydney Test). But with the SA selectors and their treatment of Pollock, I think they could push Smith whenever they like, in saying that, SA really do lack batting depth especially at the top of the order.
 

Goughy

Hall of Fame Member
hmm, actually quite interesting. If things continue the way they are then he looks dead set to break 100 Tests as captain. However, one thing we know is that things often do not stay the same.

A few bad series with SA losing and a further decline in his batting will see him ousted. However, if that doesnt happen he could continue for a long time.

Im a believer that he was originally brought in as a mere pup to captain as after Cronje and Pollock the powers that be wanted a politically weak and indebted captain. This allowed the more controversial aspects of SA selection to be implimented without having to clash with a powerful domestic figure as captain.

As he has got older, he has increasingly started to assert himself and is no longer able to be manipulated or ignored.

This change in his maturity and clout may mean people think its time for him to move aside. Also bearing in mind there is a large lobby wanting Prince as captain.
 

gettingbetter

State Vice-Captain
I've heard about the ones grooming Prince too, but it doesn't seem likely as long as Smith is in the team I think.
 

Richard

Cricket Web Staff Member
All captaincy records? What about the records for test victories and series victories?
If a captain is given enough chances with a decent team, he can break these. I certainly reckon Smith could. Who knows, indeed, how South Africa will be faring in 2013 (when Smith will still be just 31 years old)?

Regarding Prince's captaincy - he too is rarely more than 2 or 3 bad Tests away from having his place questioned. Neil McKenzie is another we hear about being highly regarded in captaincy stakes.

If neither of these are in the Test team in, say, 2 years time this wouldn't be a problem, of course.
 

Mr Mxyzptlk

Request Your Custom Title Now!
My point being that his age is not the major factor here. A big factor, yes, but not the major factor as you were suggesting.
 

jammay123

State 12th Man
he might have some trouble making it as captain for another year if they lose serieses against the west indies and then england which is what im banking on.
 

TT Boy

Hall of Fame Member
Tough 2008 (India away, England away, Australia away) for Smith and if South Africa fail to win their current series with the West Indies the pressure will be on. His got friends in high places but he needs runs and at least some encouraging performances by his team in 08 for him to keep the captaincy.
 

TT Boy

Hall of Fame Member
hmm, actually quite interesting. If things continue the way they are then he looks dead set to break 100 Tests as captain. However, one thing we know is that things often do not stay the same.

A few bad series with SA losing and a further decline in his batting will see him ousted. However, if that doesnt happen he could continue for a long time.

Im a believer that he was originally brought in as a mere pup to captain as after Cronje and Pollock the powers that be wanted a politically weak and indebted captain. This allowed the more controversial aspects of SA selection to be implimented without having to clash with a powerful domestic figure as captain.

As he has got older, he has increasingly started to assert himself and is no longer able to be manipulated or ignored.

This change in his maturity and clout may mean people think its time for him to move aside. Also bearing in mind there is a large lobby wanting Prince as captain.
Prince has fallen out of favour with CSA after resigning as chairman of the players association and then discussing quotas, his not on anyone’s Christmas cards lists with the top brass and didn't help his cause by not wanting to play in Ntini's benefit.
 

FRAZ

International Captain
Im a believer that he was originally brought in as a mere pup to captain as after Cronje and Pollock the powers that be wanted a politically weak and indebted captain. This allowed the more controversial aspects of SA selection to be implimented without having to clash with a powerful domestic figure as captain.

.
Agree!
 

tooextracool

International Coach
Always thought that Smith was a solid captain, extremely strong willed, if not anything particularly brilliant. Hes been on a learning curve and one feels like Fleming he will get better over the years. There is very little point in making Prince or anyone else in the current squad captain because there is no real future in it. The only problem for Smith is that his test form hasnt been as good as his ODI form off late and if he could iron out his problem against the swinging ball he should have no problems 'breaking all captaincy records'
 

Craig

World Traveller
For somebody who has been playing Test cricket for close to six years, you would think he would of gotten over that problem or starting to be come a lot better with the swinging ball. I mean he would spend so much hours in the net almost every day when he isn't playing or in the off season.
 

pup11

International Coach
His age has very little to do with it unless South Africa keeps performing under him.
AWTA, he has had pretty much an up and down sort of a graph as a captain and his own personal form over the last two years has also been pretty inconsistent so he is living by the sword atm IMO, his and his team's performance in the near future might decide how long he can hang on to his captaincy, since the South Africa selectors are know to pretty ruthless so a few bad tours in a row would be enough for them to strip him off his captaincy.
 

Perm

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Smith has two more Tests against the West Indies to get his batting in order, otherwise South Africa must seriously look at giving Prince the captaincy for the Bangladesh series. Having to play 7 consecutive Tests against Australia is what really broke Smith IMO, atleast temporarily, series in which he averaged 6.00, 25.83 and 18.75 respectively. Since then he hasn't been the same, although we've seen glimpses of him perhaps turning that form around, but he's still only averaged around 35. If he fails in the remaining two tests against the West Indies then I think it would actually be a pretty good idea to let him go back to domestic cricket and work on his batting, hopefully so he can get it sorted before the tour to England.

What I find interesting about Smith is that while Chris Gayle and Matthew Hayden get criticised for being flat track bullies, why doesn't he? I've noticed that Richard seems to rate him very highly, which is odd, considering he's scored heavily against minnows and against some crap West Indian attacks on flat pitches. I know he scored two consecutive double centuries against England, but he hasn't really scored runs against good opposition in tough conditiosn.

Something else worth noting, is Smith the biggest ODI minnow basher out of current batsmen? A career average of almost 40 drops down to 37.41 when you exclude non ODI standard teams. Australia and England the only ones out of the 'stronger' sides that he's had success against, and in the case of England, doesn't really say all that much.
 

Richard

Cricket Web Staff Member
What I find interesting about Smith is that while Chris Gayle and Matthew Hayden get criticised for being flat track bullies, why doesn't he? I've noticed that Richard seems to rate him very highly, which is odd, considering he's scored heavily against minnows and against some crap West Indian attacks on flat pitches. I know he scored two consecutive double centuries against England, but he hasn't really scored runs against good opposition in tough conditiosn.
I always rated Smith highly, ever since he scored those double-centuries (even though he was dropped on 7 in the latter one). There's pretty well no-one in Test-cricket who I prefer to see score runs.

Yet there's no denying that to date his career has mirrored Hayden's (less so Gayle's). I've always thought he had far more potential than the likes of Hayden, though.
 

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