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Johannesburg – Graeme Smith realises that the next two months can define his career as captain of the South African cricket team.
The 30-year-old opening batsman admitted on Tuesday before the Proteas’ departure for the sub-continent that this World Cup tournament is the most important of his eight-year tenure at the helm of the national one-day side.
Smith and Co landed in Chennai, India, on Tuesday night. They play the first of two warm-up games against Zimbabwe there on Saturday. They will have a final warm-up game against Australia three days later.
The Proteas play their first Group B game against the West Indies on February 24.
“Just to play in the World Cup is already a huge privilege. And to lead the team on the field in this tournament is an enormous responsibility,” said Smith.
He took over as captain from Shaun Pollock as a 22-year-old in 2003. Since then he has broken several records (among them the most runs by a Test captain), but Smith’s leadership has not yielded a World Cup trophy.
Smith was also at the helm when his team lost their semifinal against Australia at St Lucia in the West Indies four years ago.
Smith handed over the captaincy of the Twenty20 side to Johan Botha at the end of 2010 and also announced that he would let go of the one-day reins after the World Cup.
“I got a taste of what awaits me in 2007 and believe it has prepared me very well,” he said.
“It’s my last chance to determine how I will be remembered and irrespective of what happens over the next few months I would like to look back one day and be able to say that I gave it my all.”
Smith said that the tour squad’s first challenge would be to adapt to the conditions in India. They also need to give all 15 players opportunities in the warm-up games.
“We have toured the sub-continent a number of times over the last few years and are now able to adapt quickly. It’s one of our strengths: we have diverse cultures and personalities in the same dressing room, but we adapt to one another and make it work.”
Even so, Smith says his team won’t even “start thinking” about a place in the quarter or semifinals.
“There is way too much hard work ahead for us to start thinking like that. We want to take it one day at a time and we will cross that bridge when we get there.”
Other than was the case in the past, the knockout phase of the tournament will start immediately after the group matches and a team will return home after a single defeat.
“Any one of six teams can win this year and that is why we will have to be at our best from the outset,” said Smith.
Johannesburg – Graeme Smith realises that the next two months can define his career as captain of the South African cricket team.
The 30-year-old opening batsman admitted on Tuesday before the Proteas’ departure for the sub-continent that this World Cup tournament is the most important of his eight-year tenure at the helm of the national one-day side.
Smith and Co landed in Chennai, India, on Tuesday night. They play the first of two warm-up games against Zimbabwe there on Saturday. They will have a final warm-up game against Australia three days later.
The Proteas play their first Group B game against the West Indies on February 24.
“Just to play in the World Cup is already a huge privilege. And to lead the team on the field in this tournament is an enormous responsibility,” said Smith.
He took over as captain from Shaun Pollock as a 22-year-old in 2003. Since then he has broken several records (among them the most runs by a Test captain), but Smith’s leadership has not yielded a World Cup trophy.
Smith was also at the helm when his team lost their semifinal against Australia at St Lucia in the West Indies four years ago.
Smith handed over the captaincy of the Twenty20 side to Johan Botha at the end of 2010 and also announced that he would let go of the one-day reins after the World Cup.
“I got a taste of what awaits me in 2007 and believe it has prepared me very well,” he said.
“It’s my last chance to determine how I will be remembered and irrespective of what happens over the next few months I would like to look back one day and be able to say that I gave it my all.”
Smith said that the tour squad’s first challenge would be to adapt to the conditions in India. They also need to give all 15 players opportunities in the warm-up games.
“We have toured the sub-continent a number of times over the last few years and are now able to adapt quickly. It’s one of our strengths: we have diverse cultures and personalities in the same dressing room, but we adapt to one another and make it work.”
Even so, Smith says his team won’t even “start thinking” about a place in the quarter or semifinals.
“There is way too much hard work ahead for us to start thinking like that. We want to take it one day at a time and we will cross that bridge when we get there.”
Other than was the case in the past, the knockout phase of the tournament will start immediately after the group matches and a team will return home after a single defeat.
“Any one of six teams can win this year and that is why we will have to be at our best from the outset,” said Smith.
