It’s hard to think of another sport other than cricket where a captain has more influence on the outcome of the game. Many sports like football and rugby are played over shorter time frames, which means the impact a captain has is somewhat watered down in the frantic 90 minutes they are out there for.
Whereas, in cricket, the contest can go on for five days with the eventual outcome largely dependent on the strategy either captain adopts. Going back to the drawing board and re-evaluating a plan is paramount to finishing the game as the winner. We’ve seen some great captains come and go over the years in cricket; MS Dhoni, Andy Flower, Kumar Sangakarra, and even Stephen Fleming who retired in 2008 – they’ve all had their moment in the sun after leading their teams to victory after inspiring leadership.
But the two that stand out are Ricky Ponting and Graeme Smith, who both had excellent win percentages as captains of their respective nations. Ponting oversaw 324 games and enjoyed 220 wins, which gave him a win percentage of 67.90%. Smith was in charge for 286 games and masterminded 163 wins, which left him with a win percentage of 56.99%.
The general feeling is that Ponting was a better leader because he was the more successful captain after guiding Australia to two World Cup wins, the first in South African in 2003, and then, following that, up in the West Indies four years later in 2007. But the problem with that theory is that you forget how talented that Australian side was. In fact, cricket may have never seen a better side than that one. It could have perhaps even captained itself, indeed, leave it on autopilot and it would deliver you to your destination of the World Cup.
Incredible by @RickyPonting at silly point!
Some stunning reflexes from the former Aussie skipper for today's #ClassicCatch! pic.twitter.com/yIXcF6sqKl
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) June 16, 2020
Smith, on the other hand, will forever be part of an infamous captains club that never won a World Cup. That may be recognition in itself but, because he never lifted cricket’s most coveted trophy, he will always fall behind Ponting as the game’s greatest captain. Is that fair?
Graeme the Great
Graeme Smith became South Africa’s youngest ever captain in 2003 after taking over from Shaun Pollock. At this stage, South African cricket had been dogged by controversy and humiliation, Hansie Cronje had been found to have been match-fixing, and his successor, Pollock, would make the Proteas the laughing stock of the world. The fast bowler made a mess of the Duckworth-Lewis target against Sri Lanka in Durban during the 2003 World Cup, which would lead to the Proteas’ first-round exit as the hosts. Not for the first time in the rainbow nation’s history, they desperately needed a hero to step forward.
A 22-year-old Smith was asked to lead the side, and it’s fair to say that his reign as captain started slowly but would soon pick up pace.
His actual form with the bat was incredible, though, as he hit double-hundreds in consecutive games against England in his first tour in 2003. This belligerent batting prompted Stuart Broad and James Anderson to label Smith the toughest batsman of all time to bowl to.
It was also enough for Shane Warne to make him captain in his all-time XI for South Africa. High praise indeed. Smith led from the front, and his players soon trusted him enough to follow him into the fiercest of battles.
Indeed, five years on from that tour of England, Smith’s team would be following the example he set with his big and powerful Gunn and Moore bat that he used, and would begin to excel as a unit.
Beating England and Australia away from home
By the time 2008 came around, Smith had built a side that was both courageous and determined. What followed was a win over England away from home which was the Proteas first since readmission. Later that year, Smith would take his side down under and beat Australia away from home for the first time since the 1960s. That would start a run that would See South Africa go unbeaten away from home for the next nine years; read that again and let that sink in, nine whole years. Never before had cricket seen anything like that.
Naturally, South Africa would go to number one in the world under Smith’s leadership after toppling England in 2012.
There’s nothing quite like South African resilience and @GraemeSmith49 symbolized that against Australia in 2009.
Having broken his hand early in the match and retiring hurt, he walked out at number 11 to a standing ovation at the SCG. The Proteas won that series 2-1. pic.twitter.com/l0L5nyy8vf
— SuperSport ? (@SuperSportTV) October 1, 2019
It is the same leadership that the Proteas will hope is enough to lead them to more success, as Smith is now the director of cricket in South Africa after retiring. In what mirrored his appointment as captain back in 2003, an SOS was sent to Smith to help steer South Africa out of their rut and back to the big time. That will take some doing though as the Proteas are, as of the 17th of June, at 11/1 with Betway to win the next World Cup in 2023. If any man can turn the country’s fortunes around, though, it’s Graeme Smith. The next three years will make for interesting viewing as they prepare for cricket’s greatest showpiece.
Smith’s captaincy transcended cricket
You are so much more than just a leader of a sports team when you are selected to captain in South Africa; your title probably falls closer to that of statesman or nation builder. There are 11 different languages in South Africa, and your job is to bring together a fractured society and deliver results on the field. Graeme Craig Smith did that, and also made South Africa the best team in the world whilst doing so. Cricket will never see a better captain.