Graeme Smith quits as Proteas Twenty20 skipper
Graeme Smith has quit as South Africa’s Twenty20 captain with immediate effect, announcing his decision at a press conference this morning.
The skipper has also put a timeframe on his tenure as South Africa’s ODI skipper, saying that he’ll step down as captain in the 50-over format following the 2011 World Cup.
While Smith will remain available for selection in both limited-overs formats, he told the media that he has taken the decision to relinquish the captaincies in a bid to extend his Test career.
“After a lot of thought and consideration I have decided to step down from the captaincy of the Standard Bank ODI squad at the conclusion of the 2011 ICC World Cup campaign. I will also stand down as captain of the Standard Bank Pro20 International squad with immediate effect,” Smith said.
“There are several reasons why I have made this important career decision. I am going into my ninth season of international cricket - eight of which have been as captain. It is my intention to play for another five or six years and I know in my heart that I can only do that if I give up some of my current responsibilities,” Smith revealed.
Smith most recently captained the Proteas at the World Twenty20 in the Caribbean this year, leading them to the Super Eight stage of the competition, where losses to eventual champions England and the mercurial Pakistan saw his side bow out of the competition.
The left-handed opener has led the South Africa Twenty20 side for a total 27 matches, reaching a high score of 89 not out against Australia in Johannesburg in 2006.
The 29-year-old Smith has captained South Africa across all formats of the game since 2003, and was at the helm as the Proteas rose to the world No. 1 Test ranking last year, but has also been at the helm as South Africa bowed out in the semi-finals of the 2007 World Cup after entering the competition as the top-ranked ODI side.
Smith’s decision to reduce his load in the shorter formats to prolong his Test career bears similarities to that of Australia Test and ODI captain Ricky Ponting, who retired from Twenty20 cricket following Australia’s Ashes loss in England last year in a bid to prolong his career in the longer formats of the game.
Smith’s resignation as South Africa’s Twenty20 captain raises the obvious question of just who is going to replace him as skipper in the shortest format, with Johan Botha and AB de Villiers reported to be perhaps the two most likely candidates to fill Smith’s shoes.