Does Smith deserve to be called great?

"Until Graeme Smith can produce against Australia, some pundits might see him as a flat-track bully who can plunder two double tons against minnows Bangladesh, but when it comes to the finest opposition, is found wanting. However, that's also the magic of being Graeme Smith," writes Gary Lemke on iol.co.za.

While there is no debate as to the merits of Eddie Barlow, Barry Richards, Graeme Pollock and Mike Procter among The Selected's top 25 players of all time and even the presence of Allan Donald, Jacques Kallis, Mark Boucher, Makhaya Ntini can't be disputed Smith's appearance ignites discussion. For, at the end of a career a player is judged by his statistics. Not on his ability as a captain, or the fact that he has to wear several other hats, in dealing with the tricky issue of transformation and captaining a team that may include some players who aren't in the Test XI entirely on merit.