In Defense of Graeme Smith
Let me start off by saying I don’t blindly worship the ground Graeme Smith walks on. There are actually times I think my 3 year old niece could do a better job captaining the Proteas. But that’s only when things aren’t going as well as I would like.
I’ve always been a Graeme Smith fan though.
Yes, Smith did make some stupid mistakes as a young 22 year old captain. Like taking on the Aussies verbally and then not backing it up.
But he’s also performed on the field. Better than most other Proteas players, according to statistics.
For instance – in every test match Smith has scored 100 or more, SA have either drawn or won. Never have they suffered a loss when Smith scored a century.
Opposing teams knows the value of his wicket.
Seldom have an opposing captain been applauded off the field in Australia. How many of his local detractors had anything to say after that 2008/2009 Australian tour when Smith came home as Captain Courageous?
What I don’t understand is the label ‘arrogant’ that attaches itself to Graeme Smith.
One would hope all our national team members, including the captain have a healthy dose of self-confidence.
In this country any show of self-confidence gets mistaken for arrogance. Who knows why.
Smith has obviously learnt from the mistakes he originally made, because he seldom shoots his mouth off these days.
Also, I’ve heard and seen Smith in interviews and impression I got was that he was well-mannered, friendly and quietly confident. Never ever arrogant.
I just hope Graeme Smith ignores all those critics who come out of the woodworks everytime they smell blood.
While I think it’s time for Mickey Arthur to go, I hope to see a whole lot more of Graeme Smith, as captain, in the years to come.
