'Imagination needed to win Twenty20' - Smith

Graeme Smith, South Africa's captain, said he would be looking to bring imagination into his captaincy as he directs the hosts' bid to win the Twenty20 World Championship starting next week.

"When one-day cricket started it was very different to how it was played now, it has developed a lot. And now we are at the start of Twenty20 cricket and everything will be different as well," Smith said.

"Tactics are obviously going to be very important. Captains are going to have to bring some imagination into the game," Smith said. "Players who are unorthodox and can think on their feet will be crucial, and captains are going to need to trust their players and allow them to just go out and play.

"We are very excited about the tournament because we've had quite a long break since the World Cup. And I'm excited about the side we've got because it's a mix of youth and experience and we've got some guys who've done very well in domestic Twenty20. Hosting the inaugural tournament is an awesome opportunity for us and I think we'll be seeing the next generation of international stars coming to the fore."

Coach Mickey Arthur said the South Africans would spend the week before the tournament starts on September 11 working hard in training.

"Graeme and I have a pretty good idea of what we want for the tournament and hopefully we will confirm that during this week," Arthur said. "We have a pretty intensive programme lined up to assess exactly where we are.

"We haven't won a major ICC event since unity and this is a huge opportunity for us to get the country behind us and to win a substantial event. It is attainable if we play to our full potential."