Don't call me Greg
Nick Hoult interviews Graeme Smith about Lance Klusener, Kevin Pietersen, England and international Twenty20 games
03-Sep-2004
Graeme Smith arrived in England last summer as a virtual unknown. Even Nasser Hussain, his opposite number, got his name wrong. His captaincy was untested, his youth suspected, and pundits pinned question marks on his temperament - was he tough enough or commanding enough - until he was as shrouded in as much mystery as The Riddler. We didn't have to wait long for the answers. Smith grilled England with two double-hundreds in the first two Tests, and captained his team to two confident victories in the drawn series. In three short months he had established himself as a leading figure in the world game. This September, Smith returns to England for the ICC Champions Trophy, when he will be looking to exorcise the ghost of South Africa's botched World Cup campaign in 2003. He talks to TWC about settling differences, England and Kevin Pietersen ... Interview by Nick Hoult
 |
|
One-day cricket in England will be very different to what we played last year. Then we played at the beginning of the summer whereas this time it will be at the end. The pitches will be very different and we are also going from our winter to Sri Lanka and then to England, which is something we will have to deal with. We might be fresh but we might also be a bit undercooked so we have some hard work to do in the next month or so.
How do you think South Africa have progressed since last year's World Cup?
It's only been a year and a bit since the World Cup and it's hard to go from being at the bottom to the top in that space of time. The Champions Trophy will be a good stepping stone but we know our weaknesses in one-day cricket. We are not going to arrive in England thinking we can win the competition but our goal is to win each game and that will take us through to the final.
It's only been a year and a bit since the World Cup and it's hard to go from being at the bottom to the top in that space of time. The Champions Trophy will be a good stepping stone but we know our weaknesses in one-day cricket. We are not going to arrive in England thinking we can win the competition but our goal is to win each game and that will take us through to the final.
What do you feel about the inclusion of less established cricket nations such as USA?
It's very important to keep the game going. Cricket has given us so much and it's vital to grow it in certain areas. I'm sure the USA has got some potential somewhere down the line. If they see it as a potential growth area then let's give it a chance. That is the whole point of the Champions Trophy. It's a global tournament but it is also an experimental tournament with technology and other things. Why not give it a test with regards to growing the game? It's not going to make the game worse so why not give it a go.
It's very important to keep the game going. Cricket has given us so much and it's vital to grow it in certain areas. I'm sure the USA has got some potential somewhere down the line. If they see it as a potential growth area then let's give it a chance. That is the whole point of the Champions Trophy. It's a global tournament but it is also an experimental tournament with technology and other things. Why not give it a test with regards to growing the game? It's not going to make the game worse so why not give it a go.
Lance Klusener is back in the South African fold. Have you settled your differences with him?
Lance deserves to be in the team now. One of the reasons he was left out was because he couldn't bowl 10 overs in a one-day game but he has come back and lost weight. He has proved he wants to be there and he has been a great example to the young guys coming through. His will to play for South Africa is outstanding. He and I have sat down and talked about a lot of stuff. It was a case of me getting to know Lance and him getting to know me. We have come a long way.
Lance deserves to be in the team now. One of the reasons he was left out was because he couldn't bowl 10 overs in a one-day game but he has come back and lost weight. He has proved he wants to be there and he has been a great example to the young guys coming through. His will to play for South Africa is outstanding. He and I have sat down and talked about a lot of stuff. It was a case of me getting to know Lance and him getting to know me. We have come a long way.
When England tour South Africa this winter Kevin Pietersen may be a member of their squad. What are your feelings towards him and his decision to pursue a career in England over South Africa?
We expect him to be part of England's touring team and we are looking forward to it. We have had a few guys that have left this country for one reason or another and we have had to deal with that. I read an article the other day and I was quite disappointed in some of the things he had to say. If that is the way he feels about sport in our country then he's better off in England. We don't want a guy who is not interested in playing for South Africa.
We expect him to be part of England's touring team and we are looking forward to it. We have had a few guys that have left this country for one reason or another and we have had to deal with that. I read an article the other day and I was quite disappointed in some of the things he had to say. If that is the way he feels about sport in our country then he's better off in England. We don't want a guy who is not interested in playing for South Africa.
He has pointed to the quota system as his reason for leaving South Africa. Do you have any sympathy with that argument?
I get disappointed when I read these things. He ran out when things got tough. If he didn't want to be here then we don't want him here. We all know that South Africa went through a transformation that was important for our country. We had to come from apartheid and move on. There was always going to be a difficult stage. We all went through it and some fantastic cricketers have emerged. We are working well together. All the guys you see involved now are there on merit. They know they can perform to a standard and that makes for a much stronger team. I think it's fantastic the way the team has developed.
I get disappointed when I read these things. He ran out when things got tough. If he didn't want to be here then we don't want him here. We all know that South Africa went through a transformation that was important for our country. We had to come from apartheid and move on. There was always going to be a difficult stage. We all went through it and some fantastic cricketers have emerged. We are working well together. All the guys you see involved now are there on merit. They know they can perform to a standard and that makes for a much stronger team. I think it's fantastic the way the team has developed.
|
|
|
We have been very impressed by Steve. We thought he had great potential when we were in England last year. We saw at The Oval what he is capable of. We were surprised he wasn't picked at Headingley in the previous Test because he would have been very difficult to play on that wicket. He has put a lot of strength in his body and with his pace that makes him one hell of a bowler. He will be really looking forward to coming out here and that will be a real challenge for us. He can break partnerships and he has stepped up a force since we last saw him. He is now one of the top bowlers in world cricket.
Do you think South Africa are favourites to beat England this winter?
Home sides are probably always favourites but this tour is going to be very fiery and very competitive. It will be great to watch. We are two of the closest teams in world cricket with regard to where we are in the standings. England have always had a good batting line-up and now they have some fast bowlers that are mixing and matching well. Their weakness is in the spin department which is the same for every country that hasn't got a Warne or a Muralitharan.
Home sides are probably always favourites but this tour is going to be very fiery and very competitive. It will be great to watch. We are two of the closest teams in world cricket with regard to where we are in the standings. England have always had a good batting line-up and now they have some fast bowlers that are mixing and matching well. Their weakness is in the spin department which is the same for every country that hasn't got a Warne or a Muralitharan.
Nasser Hussain made a few comments about you before the start of last year's Test series. Did that help motivate South Africa?
We had a chuckle at it. After the way we performed in the one-day games he really didn't have to say anything. We had got stronger in the one-day games and when we arrived at Edgbaston we were ready to perform well. If anything it gave us an opportunity to turn things back on him quickly. We should have won that series. We came out of it looking hard at ourselves. We let ourselves down in the last Test as we couldn't bat out the last day. At the start of the series we would have taken 2-2 but as the series went on we saw our potential. After the series we felt we let ourselves down but at least we have got a chance to put it right this winter.
We had a chuckle at it. After the way we performed in the one-day games he really didn't have to say anything. We had got stronger in the one-day games and when we arrived at Edgbaston we were ready to perform well. If anything it gave us an opportunity to turn things back on him quickly. We should have won that series. We came out of it looking hard at ourselves. We let ourselves down in the last Test as we couldn't bat out the last day. At the start of the series we would have taken 2-2 but as the series went on we saw our potential. After the series we felt we let ourselves down but at least we have got a chance to put it right this winter.
On the recent tour to New Zealand you had a run-in with Stephen Fleming. Have you healed the rift?
I'm happy I went through it. In some ways me being compared to him became an issue. He's obviously a very experienced captain and I was only in my first year as captain. That was part of the problem. Maybe I shouldn't have got so worked up but it was healthy for me. In the last Test match I took more stick than I had done in the whole series but I went and scored 125 not out to win the match. That was a big reference point for me. I'm glad I went through it. At the end of the tour Stephen and I had dinner and we chatted through things. It was good and there are no hard feelings. We are both competitive and wanted to win and that came out.
I'm happy I went through it. In some ways me being compared to him became an issue. He's obviously a very experienced captain and I was only in my first year as captain. That was part of the problem. Maybe I shouldn't have got so worked up but it was healthy for me. In the last Test match I took more stick than I had done in the whole series but I went and scored 125 not out to win the match. That was a big reference point for me. I'm glad I went through it. At the end of the tour Stephen and I had dinner and we chatted through things. It was good and there are no hard feelings. We are both competitive and wanted to win and that came out.
Twenty-over cricket has also been launched successfully in South Africa. Would you like to see it played at international level?
The international schedule is already full so I wouldn't want to see 20-over cricket as well. International cricket is a successful product in its own right itself if it is looked after. We don't need Twenty20 to sustain it. Twenty20 is a provincial or county thing where it works well but I certainly would not support it being introduced at international level.
The international schedule is already full so I wouldn't want to see 20-over cricket as well. International cricket is a successful product in its own right itself if it is looked after. We don't need Twenty20 to sustain it. Twenty20 is a provincial or county thing where it works well but I certainly would not support it being introduced at international level.
This article was first published in the September issue of The Wisden Cricketer.
Click here for further details.
Click here for further details.