While Graeme Smith's decision to walk into the sunset might have caused a stir in the South African dressing room, there was no denying the fact that the recently-surfaced criticism and his personal front were beginning to take a toll on the country's best captain to date. A 281-run defeat to Australia in the first Test, an ankle injury last April and health issues related to his daughter - one could have safely bet Smith was nearing his final walk onto the cricket field.
Thirty-three is not too big a number - definitely not one at which to retire (unless you're under contract with the ECB) but Smith's dismal outing in the ongoing series (just 42 runs at an average of 8.40) is perhaps what proved to be the final nail in the coffin. For a batsman who has coped well with short-pitched bowling over the years, getting out to a Mitchell Johnson bouncer that turned him inside out would have been a tough pill for Smith to swallow.
But let's not get carried away by the whys and hows. Instead, lets look at the fact that Smith has always been a man of character, who in a way injected a second life into South African cricket after their image was tarnished by the late Hansie Cronje during the match-fixing saga. Of course, Shaun Pollock did his bit but Smith was the man who took care of the 'next-gen' South African cricketers and helped the team realise its potential.
Ever since he burst on to the scene as a 22-year-old, Smith has led from the front. His eulogies speak merits. With more than 9,000 Test runs at an average of almost 50 along with 27 hundreds, he is only next to Jacques Kallis in terms of being South Africa's best batsmen. He was there when South Africa chased down the 'then' highest total in ODI of 434 against Australia in what many call the greatest limited-overs encounter to have ever taken place.
To top that, Smith led South Africa in 109 Test matches — more than any other captain in international cricket. With 53 wins and 27 losses to his name, he led the team to the altar of the ICC Test rankings, beating England 2-0 in 2012. There was no doubting Smith's credentials as a captain - even if he was given the responsibility at 22, with just seven matches to his name.
Apart from a win percentage of 53, he even captained the World XI against a rampaging Australian side in 2005. In his first game as captain at Edgbaston, Smith successfully trolled Nasser Hussain by proving exactly what this "22-year-old kid Greg" had in store. If that marathon innings of 277 didn't answer Hussain, the very next innings of 259 at Lord's surely did.
Eventually, Smith led his side to a series win in England in 2008 - their first in 43 years. Under Smith, South Africa have not been beaten in the last 15 Test series. Since the dawn of the new millennium, they are the only side apart from England to win in Australia twice.
Smith's Aussie counterpart Michael Clarke described him as "a lovely fella". Australia, out of all oppositions, remember how tough a bloke Smith has been when he made his way to the crease and faced Johnson all taped up when suffering a broken hand in order to try and save a Test match for his country at the Sydney Cricket Ground in 2009. The likes of AB de Villiers, Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel came into their own during the Smith era, and today are two of them are best in their respective departments.
Now that Smith has called time, the crowd will ensure they turn up in good amount for the last two days of the third final Test at Newlands despite the fact that the home side is battling to avoid defeat, to see Smith take strike one last time. Over 12 years, he has seen it all - the disappointment of not winning two World Cups (despite being strong contenders), three World Twenty20s, three Champions Trophy and having to deal with racism and the chokers' tag. Quite clearly, Smith must feel 43 despite being a decade younger. Hence, he has a lot to catch up.
Smith has a young family to cater to. He has signed a three-year contract with Surrey, revealing it would help his wife be close to her family. And even for that, he has come under criticism from some parts of South Africa. So much that he had to dismiss speculations about him being granted Irish citizenship might have come in the way of his departure from cricket. Let the man breathe for once and get his due credit.
Without Kallis and now Smith, South Africa have a stiff task ahead of them. The next 12 months comprise of away Test series in Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe followed by home Tests against West Indies - during which the side would need to build upon the platform that has been set up by Smith's brilliance.
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