Big news: Graeme Smith announces his retirement from international cricket

[mercurial]

His time has come. I personally don't think AB is ready for captaincy. The only other logical choice would be Faf.

 

[OomD]

Good riddance to this arrogant thing who never listened to his mother when she told him to chew with his mouth closed.

 

[Agent_Smith]

Good riddance to this arrogant thing who never listened to his mother when she told him to chew with his mouth closed.

Is that really all you've been able to focus on for the last 11 years of Graeme Smith's career?

 

[Mike Hoxbig]

1) 27 centuries, none in a losing cause.
2) only player with 1000+ runs in successful 4th innings run chases.
3) Most wins by a captain.
4) Lead his country for 100 tests.
5) took over after a disappointing 2003 WC and at the age of 22 was expected to rebuild the team and indeed a nations confidence in its cricket team.
6) Most runs scored whilst captaining a team.
7) His critical role in our 438 chase
8) Achieved 2 series win in Australia. ( first time for SA)
9) first team to win a series in Australia since 91/92 ( can't remember exact date)
10) hasn't lost a test series in 5 years
11) hasn't lost a test series away from home since 2006.


None of this would have been achieved without Smith. Just think how many international captains Smith has seen come and go, then you will realise the toll it takes on players. Not everyone is cut out for captaincy, and 99% of people won't last 10 years in the job. This is especially true when you have the internal politics of CSA. Dealing with Quotas, transformation and an expectant public, isn't the easiest thing to do.

His role can't just be defined in numbers, the culture, the backroom, the winning mentality, the leader and the grooming of young players has come through from Smith and the structures that he was critical in setting up. He is integral in the way we have done things for a decade and he has given us many highlights.

In my mind, we would not be where we are without Smith and his influence over the past decade.

Also retired 3 (THREE) English captains!

 

[OomD]

Is that really all you've been able to focus on for the last 11 years of Graeme Smith's career?

Mostly, yes. As a cricketer he was not necessarily that much better than those around him. To be an exceptional cricketer you have to be better than the rest. He wasn't, IMO.

 

[Mike Hoxbig]

Mostly, yes. As a cricketer he was not necessarily that much better than those around him. To be an exceptional cricketer you have to be better than the rest. He wasn't, IMO.

Opening is a specialist position and cannot be compared to batsmen who come lower down. Openers often have to face the best conditions for bowling. Smith is one of the best openers ever, let alone from SA.

 

[OGroteKoning]

Mostly, yes. As a cricketer he was not necessarily that much better than those around him. To be an exceptional cricketer you have to be better than the rest. He wasn't, IMO.

Just out of interest, who would you have picked in his place?

 

[Garson007]

Back in his youth he hit on my sister. Bless him.

 

[OzzieCapie]

Good riddance to this arrogant thing who never listened to his mother when she told him to chew with his mouth closed.

He also never listened to her when he stuck a note on the fridge at age 12 that said "Goal- Proteas Captain"

What have you achieved that you set out to do at an early age, how passionate are you.

Here is an excellent article from Firdose Moonda http://www.espncricinfo.com/south-africa-v-australia-2013-14/content/story/725391.html
The bloke was thrust into captaincy at age 22 and changed the SA cricket team culture and led from front. By his own admission an 'ugly batsman' , and that itself as Boucher rightly says is where his btechnique could not overcome the poor form...he needed passion and motivated to make his technique work...hard to keep the motivation going.

 

[Arthur]

Hats off to a fine cricketer and sportsman. He was loaded with huge responsibility at a tender age, and he acquitted himself well.

Thanks for entertaining us, Graeme.
Thanks for sharing your talent.
Thanks for leading our team through hard times (after the Hansie saga) to the top of the list in the purest form of the game.

Oh, and ignore those second-rate armchair mediocrities who never have a nice word to say about anyone but themselves. History will judge you fairly, because your achievements are amazing, your stats remarkable.

Thanks again, Graeme.

 

[OomD]

Opening is a specialist position and cannot be compared to batsmen who come lower down. Openers often have to face the best conditions for bowling. Smith is one of the best openers ever, let alone from SA.

I never said he's a bad player. I said he was not exceptional, IMO.

Just out of interest, who would you have picked in his place?

No one, really. But the absense of someone else to use instead does not make him a better player. It just makes him the default one.

He also never listened to her when he stuck a note on the fridge at age 12 that said "Goal- Proteas Captain"

What?

What have you achieved that you set out to do at an early age, how passionate are you.

How are my achievements (or lack thereof) relevant? And yes, I have already achieved what I set out to, thanks for asking.

Here is an excellent article from Firdose Moonda http://www.espncricinfo.com/south-africa-v-australia-2013-14/content/story/725391.html
The bloke was thrust into captaincy at age 22 and changed the SA cricket team culture and led from front. By his own admission an 'ugly batsman' , and that itself as Boucher rightly says is where his btechnique could not overcome the poor form...he needed passion and motivated to make his technique work...hard to keep the motivation going.

All I'm saying is there's this praise from all side for the guy, but he was an arrogant person who did not play the game in the gentlemanly manner it is supposed to be played, he was not exceptional, just run of the mill. No doubt he could play cricket, but he's no Jacques Kallis or Ricky Ponting, or hell, even Hansie Cronje. He was just meh.

The number of times he's been given out LBW, for example. That's probably (I could be wrong) the most dominant way he's ever been dismissed. Why did he not address this and work on it? Maybe he did work on it, maybe he didn't. Who knows. But it certainly does not look like it.

He never struck me as someone that cares about the fans, the game's reputation, or the game's progress. He just cared about himself. I mean hell, with a nickname like Biff I would expect nothing less than arrogance. He thought he was captain and coach, and bullied the coaches to accept his point of view.

Once, even John Robbie on the radio asked him why he had to chew like that on the field. Nothing wrong with chewing with your mouth closed, though, but geez have some class and close your mouth already.

Anyway, it should be obvious that my opinion of him is pretty low. Good riddance, I stil say.

 

[AfricanTech]

Salut Graeme Smith!

I've liked Biff since he first took over as captain - 22 and yet he had a steely resolve that very few of our other captains have had.

He had a fantastic run and has been a fantastic cricketer over the years.

Thanks for all the years of fantastic cricket.

/Applauds/

 

[stefan9]

All I'm saying is there's this praise from all side for the guy, but he was an arrogant person who did not play the game in the gentlemanly manner it is supposed to be played, he was not exceptional, just run of the mill. No doubt he could play cricket, but he's no Jacques Kallis or Ricky Ponting, or hell, even Hansie Cronje. He was just meh.

.

Thank god he was nothing like that matchfixer...

 

[AfricanTech]

I never said he's a bad player. I said he was not exceptional, IMO.


No one, really. But the absense of someone else to use instead does not make him a better player. It just makes him the default one.


What?


How are my achievements (or lack thereof) relevant? And yes, I have already achieved what I set out to, thanks for asking.



All I'm saying is there's this praise from all side for the guy, but he was an arrogant person who did not play the game in the gentlemanly manner it is supposed to be played, he was not exceptional, just run of the mill. No doubt he could play cricket, but he's no Jacques Kallis or Ricky Ponting, or hell, even Hansie Cronje. He was just meh.

The number of times he's been given out LBW, for example. That's probably (I could be wrong) the most dominant way he's ever been dismissed. Why did he not address this and work on it? Maybe he did work on it, maybe he didn't. Who knows. But it certainly does not look like it.

He never struck me as someone that cares about the fans, the game's reputation, or the game's progress. He just cared about himself. I mean hell, with a nickname like Biff I would expect nothing less than arrogance. He thought he was captain and coach, and bullied the coaches to accept his point of view.

Once, even John Robbie on the radio asked him why he had to chew like that on the field. Nothing wrong with chewing with your mouth closed, though, but geez have some class and close your mouth already.

Anyway, it should be obvious that my opinion of him is pretty low. Good riddance, I stil say.

You think he was arrogant - I think he was steely - he did not allow himself to be cowed by the opposition.

Do you know him personally? I don't, so formed my impressions from radio and TV interviews over the years and watching him live at Newlands - he never came across as arrogant - tough yes, but not arrogant.

He would never blame external factors for a loss - he would take it on the nose and state that we didn't play well.

Oh, and Kallis was never captain - that is a very different kind of pressure.

Let's not mention the disgraceful Hansie who led younger players astray when he was supposed to be their leader and mentor.

 

[OomD]

Thank god he was nothing like that matchfixer...

Well, yes. There's Hansie the cheat, and there's Hansie the cricketer. I was, off course, referring to Hansie the cricketer. Him being a cheat too does not take away from his great cricketing.

But ya, not to derail the thread. Moving on.

 

[SaiyanZ]

Back in his youth he hit on my sister. Bless him.

A couple years go he hit on my girlfriend while smashed in a club.

 

[Electric]

A couple years go he hit on my girlfriend while smashed in a club.

I'd like to say he hit on my sister but no, it was me



kidding

 

[Noob-Noob]

I'd like to say he hit on my sister but no, it was me



kidding

lol

 

[Vis1/0N]

Guess now the amount of South Africans supporting the team will shoot up.

 

[OGroteKoning]

My guess is OomD is a Free State supporter