Smith wants to inflict psychological scars on England

Graeme Smith, who had once complained about Australia's sledging, has begun to play games of mental disintegration himself. Speaking about the Test series against England later this summer, Smith has said that the psychological scars South Africa inflict on England during the ongoing NatWest Series will stand them in good stead in the Tests.

"If we can leave some [scars] in the back of their mind for the Test series," said Smith, "it would be great."

Smith said that despite being guaranteed a place in the final, South Africa would be going for a win in all the remaining matches. "We treat every international as a big game and, with the Test series soon coming up, we want to keep the momentum going and keep them on the back foot. We hit our straps against England on Thursday, continued that against Zimbabwe on Saturday and we don't want to let anyone else in the door.

"We are setting the trend at the moment in this one-day tournament and we want to carry that on. We want to keep up the positive performances and the winning habit."

Smith took over the captaincy of South Africa - thus becoming the second-youngest international captain ever - after South Africa's debacle at the World Cup. Overflowing with self-belief, he has done well so far. "It really helps our confidence as a side when you are winning games," he said, "and you start believing you can win games from any situation. That's why Australia are good at the moment. They've got such a winning habit and that's what we want to get into. We've got to be up to the mark every time we walk out on to the field and up for the games. We've got to do that day in and day out."

Interestingly, for all the hype about entering a new era under a young captain, South Africa's recent successes have come about due to stalwarts of the old one. Jacques Kallis has made two hundreds and an unbeaten fifty in his three innings on tour so far; and Shaun Pollock, has been impeccably parsimonious, with an economy rate of just above three runs per over.

Pollock has taken only two wickets in the series so far, but Smith wasn't worried about that. "It will all turn around," he said. "[Pollock's] really bowling well. He's setting the tone, and he's leading from the front of the bowling pack. He's got pace and movement, and the control to go with it. I think it will turn quickly as long as he keeps doing the simple things as well as he is at the moment.

"He'll tell you he's feeling good at the moment," Smith continued, basking in the magnanimity of praising the man he replaced as captain. "If he's feeling good, he must be back to his best. He's pretty confident. Guys are struggling to score runs off him at the moment, and from our point of view, he's [building] pressure early on."