Graeme Smith

[Tim]

damn Graeme Smith is fast becoming my most hated sports player..he is constantly making controversial statements or whinging about something.

So far this week he's said that theres no way England will beat South Africa and now he's calling the schedule unfair..although he'll recall that in the VB Series last year S.A had the exact same problem with NZ and it worked to their advantage at the end so maybe he should just shut up & start winning some matches.

 

[Kiwi]

Totally agree... I can't believe this guy is captain

 

[Langeveldt]

he's said that theres no way England will beat South Africa

Nothing wrong with that? If that came from Steve Waugh it would be called confidance...

Hes not that bad, SA have had a lot of bad luck, and he is entitled to a rant...

One thing that did annoy me is him having a go at a far more experienced player (Klusener), that was out of order, and he was put in his place...

 

[Craig]

I was surprised he became captain, but I can see why. Ever since the late Hansie Cronje lost his captaincy for match fixing which then cost him his life in a plane crash, there has always been a sort of "Hansie" arua or loyality to some of Cronje's former good mates and that was always affecting Shaun Pollock's captaincy.

So when South Africa failed to make the Super Sixes, Pollock was given the axe and Smith was given it to start a fresh and let Smith lead it his own way with out this "Hansie" feeling through out the team.

Smith never played under, against or even met Cronje, so he cant have that problem. I think it was a good move, although a bit early, he is used to captaining sides anyway at age group level.

Langeveldt, are you South African by any chance?

 

[Langeveldt]

Langeveldt, are you South African by any chance?

No im a brit, i used to live in SA

 

[marc71178]

Re: Re: Graeme Smith

Nothing wrong with that? If that came from Steve Waugh it would be called confidance...

Waugh has the players to back it up.

 

[Tim]

Does anyone really know for sure that Graeme Smith has total support from the other players?

 

[Craig]

He has it of Shaun Pollock, but yes he does.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Does anyone really know for sure that Graeme Smith has total support from the other players?

How can anyone know for sure? Only the players can say that for sure. Not even Smith can be sure....

 

[Deja moo]

Maybe Graeme Smith is just trying to follow in the footsteps of Steve Waugh( off-pitch mental disintegration )....not a bad ploy to gain an early advantage over the opposition.....only that there are 2 flaws......the verbal diarrhoea should work.....and Steve built a strong team to back him up before he started mouthing off.....Graeme Smith 's team doesnt exactly inspire confidence that it can back him up.....:P

 

[marc71178]

Does anyone really know for sure that Graeme Smith has total support from the other players?

I'm not sure if my comment was misconstrued, but I meant that Waugh's players are the best in the World, hence he can say it.

Smith's aren't.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

I'm missing Pollock.

 

[Bazza]

I think South Africa have a very talented side - especially in ODI cricket. They bat right down to number nine and they have several players who can hit the ball and bowl a few overs. Think New Zealand only more powerful.

Just look at what Andrew Hall did on Saturday, Kallis and Gibbs are class plus Pollock, Boucher, Boje, etc can all bat. Van Jaarsveld seems a very talented player.

With the ball Pollock is truly world class and Ntini is getting there, Boje is a useful spinner, if Smith does a good job and fits the pieces together they can be much more than dangerous, even without Klusener.

 

[Bazza]

"You do well to enjoy cricket, for it is more free from anything sordid, anything dishonourable, than any game in the world. To play it keenly, generously, self-sacricingly is a moral lesson in itself, and the classroom is God's air and sunshine. Foster it, my brothers, so that it may attract all who find the time to play it, protect it from anything that will sully it, so that it may grow in favour with all men."

- Lord Harris



It's a shame everything Lord Harris saw and hoped for no longer exists or has become..........

 

[Langeveldt]

IMO, i think the present SA crop are excellent, especially as they have rotten administration and luck at the moment..

I agree with Bazza, i love the look of guys like Martin Van Jaarsveld and Jacques Rudolph, and there are a couple of great prospects waiting in the wings..

However the bowling looks a little bit thin...Pollock, Ntini and Bojé are test class bowlers, but im concerned about guys like Hall and Dawson.. They are very good bowlers but i dont think we should be relying on them against the best teams...

Cant see SA losing the number 2 tag tho

 

[Craig]

Boje is a finger spinner. ALL finger spinners are non threatening on non spinning wickets. Have you ever bowled one (I assume you are right handed)? And you will know what I mean.

Murali is the exception, but he is a wrist spinner.

Australia has some of the most over-rated players in the world. Hayden, McGrath, Gilchrist, Martyn, Lehmann, Bichel, Lee are some of the most over-rated players in the world.

Kallis, Gibbs, Kirsten are all very good batsmen and some of the best in the world, Boucher is a better keeper then Gilchrist IMO, and Pollock and Ntini are both top class bowlers. Also Rudloph and Smith have a lot of potenital, and McKenzie and Dippenaar are too inconsistant, but both very talented.

 

[Neil Pickup]

Australia has some of the most over-rated players in the world. Hayden, McGrath, Gilchrist, Martyn, Lehmann, Bichel, Lee are some of the most over-rated players in the world.

You what?!

 

[Langeveldt]

Eh??

Aus players are rated for a reason!

 

[Craig]

You what?!

You read it.

 

[Eclipse]

Australia has some of the most over-rated players in the world. Hayden, McGrath, Gilchrist, Martyn, Lehmann, Bichel, Lee are some of the most over-rated players in the world.

Ha !

None of them are overated exept maybe Brett Lee but thats only because he does not always perform to his potential.

Lhemann is not realy rated but he is a great ODI batsman.

Saying Gilly , McGrath, Hayden are overated is much the same as saying Tedulkar is overated infact with Gilly & McGrath it's just a plain Insult.

Earlyer you said Hayden only made runs on flat pictches well dispite that not being true (remember his 2 innings hundred at Adelaide??? ) The same thing could be said about Tendulkar and Infact many people beleve that to be the case.

For Mine saying Gilly & McGrath are overated is plain dumb obvously you dont watch alot of cricket. Gilly is fast becoming an all time great I see so many people allready putting him into there all time world X1 it's not funny and statisticly I cant blame them at all.

You try avraging 60 in test cricket with a strike rate that would make any One day player proud of 81. Not only that but he is our biggest match winner in the side some of the rescue missions he has single handedly led are very impresive.