Smith Calls Time on T20 Captaincy, Will Quit As SA's ODI Captain After World Cup

Graeme Smith's decision to step down from the Twenty20 captaincy for South Africa with immediate effect and from the ODI captaincy following the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 came as a bit of a shock even though Smith himself indicated to the effect prior to South Africa's tour of India in February this year.

graeme smith with team mates

Smith spoke at length about his decisions as well as the factors that led his arriving at this conclusion. What he did not touch upon though was the staggering feeling he had when South Africa left the ICC World Twenty20 2010 in the Caribbean on a disappointing note when Smith himself seemed at a loss to explain South Africa's hiccups at the World stage.

Here is his reflection:

"The off season has provided a great opportunity for me to reflect on our teams’ successful journey and set some challenging personal goals for the future.

"After a lot of thought and consideration I have decided to step down from the captaincy of the Standard Bank ODI squad at the conclusion of the 2011 ICC World Cup campaign. I will also stand down as captain of the Standard Bank Pro20 International squad with immediate effect.

"There are several reasons why I have made this important career decision. I am going into my ninth season of international cricket - eight of which have been as captain. It is my intention to play for another five or six years and I know in my heart that I can only do that if I give up some of my current responsibilities.

"It has always been my philosophy not only to make the Proteas the best team we can possibly be but also to enable the players to grow both as cricketers and as people. I believe we have now reached the stage where there are several players emerging within the squad to take on leadership roles.

"My decision automatically poses the questions of why I am announcing it now and why I am not waiting until after the World Cup. It is absolutely vital that we maintain continuity in a World Cup season and this major competition also concludes the current cycle of limited overs cricket. I also feel that making the announcement now will provide the time and development necessary to ensure a smooth transition.

"I remain passionate about the captaincy of the Proteas and after the World Cup I will continue to lead the Test team with pride and will continue to be available for selection in all formats of the game.

In the shorter term and shorter format, all of our efforts are now focused on winning the elusive ICC World Cup in February 2011, an achievement which everyone involved with the Proteas has firmly in their sights.

"I would like to thank Cricket South Africa and particularly the CEO, Gerald Majola, for their understanding and support of my decision.

"I would also like to take this opportunity to announce that I will soon be launching my own leadership foundation, an initiative which I feel very passionate about. The purpose of the Graeme Smith Foundation is to share the skills which I have acquired through my cricket career to develop leadership programmes for young South Africans in order for them to have a wider impact in their communities.

"I remain highly motivated to play at the highest level and from a personal perspective I feel excited about the challenges which lie ahead and focused on the ambitious goals which I have set myself.

"In terms of the Proteas I know that the players are all working incredibly hard and we look forward to delivering our best cricket in the months ahead."

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