Graeme Smith’s role as interim Director of Cricket is a positive that needs to be harnessed considering all the negativity surrounding our cricket, writes Alasdair Fraser.
Cast your mind back to June 2003 and the appointment of ‘Biff’ as captain of the Test series against England away. Many people were against a relatively unknown 22-year-old batsmen taking over from Shaun Pollock, citing that he had questionable leadership credentials.
Smith had made his debut a year earlier against the Aussies and showed some real bite – something that was missing in the Proteas set-up just two years after the Hansie saga had decimated our game in SA.
In the buildup to the 2003 World Cup, Smith was omitted from the squad. After sharing a then Test record 368-run opening partnership with Herschelle Gibbs prior to the team announcement, you could say he was justified in his annoyance.
He made his frustrations clear during a heated South Africa vs Western Province World Cup warm-up match. I recall Pollock receiving the brunt of it during one of his bowling spells, as Biff went hell for leather.
An injury to Jonty Rhodes during the tournament meant there was only one replacement – Biff, who never looked back.
Against England in his first Test as captain, Nasser Hussain, famously called Smith ‘Greg’.
Biff made sure Hussain never forgot his first name with two big double hundreds in back-to-back Tests. South Africa never looked back, as their skipper led from the front.
Those ‘questionable’ leadership credentials were put to bed. Yes, Smith learned a lot in his formative years, but they were invaluable lessons that even a certain big investment company felt was perfect for a TV commercial.
Already Smith’s lack of coaching credentials is being called into play. I simply do not agree with them when you look at his cricketing CV and close relationships within South African cricket’s golden era of players.
Jacques Kallis and Mark Boucher will be willing to work with their former skipper. Bear in mind that right now this is a short-term solution. England are here and they need to be beaten in a series in SA for the first time since Hansie Cronje led the Proteas to a 2-1 win in 1999-2000.
There is an argument that former players don’t make the best coaches. In cricket that is simply not true. The individual aspects of the game ensure that former players have a wealth of knowledge to impart. Just chat to them about the game and you will see it for yourself.
Kallis’ knowledge about batting, bowling and slip fielding is worth three coaches. Boucher is the only one who is learning the trade as team coach with the Titans, but his 15-year international career is even more valuable. He’s seen it all.
Smith isn’t going to ‘coach’ the team, but his presence and the respect that that ‘presence’ commands is massive in galvanising a broken team that has been playing way below its true potential.
Biff is going to surround himself with like-minded brains who have been there and done that. It is a short-term solution, but one that is necessary and tailor-made for a backs-to-the-wall situation that tends to bring out the best of all South Africans.
If I were England, I’d be a little weary right now.
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