Graeme Smith: 'I enjoy the passion and determination'
by Neil Manthorp - June 17, 2003
The first half of an exclusive interview with Graeme Smith, South
Africa's youngest-ever Test captain
What are your first memories of captaincy?
I captained at under-13 aged group when I was 12. I always played
a year younger than most of the other boys. I captained every team
from then on until inter-provincial at under-19 level. I don't have
very much experience of not being captain, I've always done it.
First conflict?
At under-19 level I had a little run-in with Jacques Rudolph. We'd
played against each other all the time for years, and then at under-19
level he captained Northerns and I captained Gauteng. It was a pretty
heated exchange, my first taste of what can happen when the adrenalin
is flowing during a big game. It was the key game of the tournament.
We had always got on, and still do, but it was war at the time!
Clash with a team-mate?
That hasn't really happened. You only get problems if you leave
things undecided, if you leave people unsure about what they should
be doing and what is expected of them. If everyone knows how the
captain wants to run things then they are more likely to respect
you - and if a guy steps out of line then you can pull him back
in.
But most of your experience has been captaining players your own
age?
Most of my teams have been a year older than me, but otherwise it's
been limited to the last 12 months when took over at Western Province
for a couple of games and took South Africa A to Zimbabwe. And my
first couple of Test matches, of course.
Any discomfort with leading older, more experienced players?
No, not all. Some people said captaining Steve Elworthy was like
captaining your dad, but he was fantastic and later, had some very
kind things to say about me. I've always got on very well with older
players, I don't know why. I have lived my life a bit "older"
than some guys, and most of my best mates are older than me.
Most satisfying conflict resolved?
I'm not sure the conflict was resolved, but it was comforting to
know I was backed up. It happened in Bangladesh during a one-day
international against India. I caught Sourav Ganguly scuffing up
the pitch with his studs and I took him on, I had a real go. The
satisfying aspect for me was the way my team backed me up when they
saw me getting involved. I knew we were fighting together and backing
each other up. I'd been told about Sourav's tactic of being really
"nice" and over-friendly when confronted about something
he's done and, sure enough, he started trying to be best buddies
with Mark Boucher and some of the other guys - but they were having
none of it. In fact, they went at him as hard as I had.
You enjoy that confrontational side of the game?
I enjoy it because of the passion and determination involved. You
are representing your countrymen, every one of them, against another
nation, it's huge. It's massive.
What about the South Africans who want to be represented by a well-mannered
gentleman who does not point his finger and be aggressive on the
field?
I believe the sport has gone past that gentlemanly era. It's still
right, and important actually, to have respect for your opponents
and the people who play the game, and there is definitely a standard
of behaviour to be maintained. Ugly clashes between players should
be avoided and, in some instances, punishment is necessary. But
it's the job of a batsman representing his country to dominate the
bowler and vice versa for the bowler. You've got to do all you can
to get the upper hand. There's going to be tension and aggression,
there's a pile of emotion. People are going to crack now and then
- people must try to understand that.
So the old traditions of the game have overtaken by the modern era?
No, that's not what I'm saying - not at all. The traditions of the
game are vitally important. That's why I'm so excited about playing
in England where the traditions and heritage of the game are greater
than ever. All I'm saying is that a balance must be found where
the modern edge, the competitive hardness, of international cricket
can still fit in with the great history created by all the men who've
played cricket for the last couple of centuries.
Is there enough appreciation of the sport's history in South Africa?
I think we've lost a bit of that. There's a specialness about playing
for your country that should give you goosebumps every single time
you are lucky enough to be selected. It's not an everyday thing.
What will you do to help restore the pride?
It's an ongoing process - selecting people with a natural sense
of pride and honour helps! Little things help, too - little but
important. I'm arranging for personal cap bags to be made for each
player, embroidered with their name and Test number. Your cap is
special - I'd like everyone who has one to treasure it.
Are you ever daunted by your own place in history?
I'm not daunted by being the youngest captain, or one of the youngest.
That sort of thing goes over my head, it doesn't scare me or affect
me. It's hard to describe - you see yourself in the newspaper and
it's like someone else. You almost don't realise what's happening
to you, but that's partly intentional because I focus and concentrate
only on what I can influence. So much of what happens to me is beyond
my control! I'm also so excited about this team, and so convinced
we can do something special together, that maybe that helps me to
stay away from the peripheral stuff. "Who was South Africa's
youngest Test captain?" might come up in a pub quiz but it's
hardly important, is it? Naturally I'd prefer to be judged on my
record in the years to come.
'We
want to make all South Africans proud of their team'
What are the biggest changes to your life since you became captain?
On the material side I've bought a house - that's a pretty significant
change. But I've still got housemates. You need someone to look
after the place, I'm never there. And personally the requests
on my time can be daunting. My management group, Fordzone, field
invites and requests for three functions a day, on average. I
struggle to say no to anything so they do it for me, it would
be crazy otherwise. I'm now able to focus on my cricket responsibilities
because my diary is managed by professionals. I'm also aware that
I have 14 other sets of emotions to be concerned about - I can't
just think about myself, there is a squad that deserves my concern.
But that is something I've always had and I welcome it.
Can a captain still have friends within his team, go out for a
beer with them?
Yes - certainly. It's a question of balance. You can't just be
an onfield captain, you learn so much about your team-mates by
having a beer with them in the pub. The same goes for the opposition,
too. And the players enjoy seeing the captain having a beer with
them, so I definitely won't be changing any of that. Besides,
I enjoy a beer!
Must a captain always be in the team, especially on tour?
The best interests of the team come first. If I wasn't pulling
my weight then it would be better to step aside. I wouldn't avoid
the issue if I was out of form, and I wouldn't pass the buck as
far as the responsibility was concerned. I wouldn't force someone
else to make the decision - I'd do it. But I'd also want to be
in the front line, in the thick of it. I'd hate to duck the pressure.
I wouldn't ever do that.
What's it been like captaining Shaun Pollock?
He's been absolutely brilliant. From what I know of Shaun he's
been a different man since we changed over. He's far more relaxed
and outgoing now, always down at dinner in the team hotel and
smiling. We had a couple of long chats on tour in Bangladesh and
I learned a lot from him. Before he seemed weighed down by everything.
Doesn't that concern you?
I know it can get to you, I really do. I can't pretend I know
what it's like as national captain but I can imagine. I'm a different
person to Shaun and we'll handle things differently. Our personalities
are different - we deal with stressful situations in our own ways.
Are you prepared to compromise your privacy for the next ten years?
You have to - how can you not? You can't expect to have a private
life - your private life is what happens in your own home.
Your phone has rung 14 times in the 35 minutes we've been talking.
Is it always like that?
Yes [smiles]. You get used to it. You know, anyone who has ever
dreamed of being a professional sportsman has also dreamed of
being recognised in a restaurant and of being asked for an autograph
in a nightclub. Anyone who tells you different is lying. Learning
how to deal with those situations is part of the job, and the
responsibility of playing for your country. Obviously you become
more and more sceptical as the years go by, and I'm only 22, but
I hope I still feel it's important to recognise people in ten
years' time. I hope I never, ever ignore genuine supporters.
Have you ever been made really, really cross? Really angry?
No, no. Not that I'd ever show on the outside. Oh, well, er ...
I'm a liar. Just once, and it happened last week. Some guy phoned
me at 3.30am - I don't know where he got my number - and gave
me huge flak about the team. He attacked me, personal and abusive.
Underworked and overpaid, with lots of swear words. And I responded.
What did you say?
I said, "You're probably sitting in some sweaty nightclub
with a tenth beer in your left hand, a smoke in your right hand
and your stomach hanging all over your belt. And you're calling
me at 3.30am to abuse me about a group of professional sportsmen?"
Does the Aussie sledging ever border on the childish/unnecessary/personal?
At times, yes. But they are also very clinical with it and it
can be very effective. They are very practised at it and they
all know what they're doing. They put a bit of thought into it,
it's not just verbal bombing. They are a very professional side
and that is part of their game plan. But at times it pushes the
limits of what's acceptable.
Is there a danger of you, or your team, becoming obsessed with
the 'dangers' of the tabloid media in England?
Yes, that's a possibility. Mark Boucher told me how they got stitched
up the very first night they arrived in England for the '98 tour.
Apparently they got photographed with some semi-naked girl - Jacques
and Lance were there, too, but only Bouch appeared in the papers
the next day which caused some embarrassment ... but it gave the
rest of the boys something to laugh about. We must be aware of
the dangers without allowing them to affect our day-to-day lives.
But we definitely must not try and hide away and avoid the difficult
questions.
Isn't Alec Stewart a bit old for international cricket?
Oh very funny, very funny.
No seriously, he's 40 years old.
If I say a word about him he'll score five centuries against us
in the Test series! Hmm. If he's playing well enough then he's
young enough. I'm sure some of the young keepers in England have
felt a bit frustrated over the years, but the selectors have given
Foster and Read a chance and they keep going back to Alec. So
maybe he really is the best. He seems very fit and strong. I don't
know him but he's certainly not a favourite of many of our team.
Maybe that's why they're keeping him going. The only time I'd
ever bring age into a selection equation is when you have two
players of equal ability and there is a large gap in their ages.
You'd want to think of the future. But if you're the best you
must play.
Who is under more pressure, you or Nasser Hussain?
I'm a young captain - frequently accused of being too young -
with very little international experience and very little experience
of England, so of course I'm under pressure. But so is Nasser,
and he's right at the other end of the experience scale. He's
under just as much pressure, retiring from one-day cricket, questions
about his commitment. Captains are under pressure, full stop.
Any previous experience of England?
I spent two months with Hampshire when Jimmy Cook was there, playing
for the 2nd XI and seeing the country. I played at The Oval and
otherwise spent lots of time driving around, sitting in traffic
actually. I was 18 years old, driving a car about the same age
with brakes even older. Happy days. But no, I wouldn't say I had
too much experience of England that might stand me in good stead
during a series of five Test matches. But we'll have good people
around us.
Why is it so difficult to win in England?
From South Africa's point of view I think it has a lot to do with
the length of the tour. Looking at the stats from 1994 and '98
we've won early on and then faded as the weeks went by. There's
a lot of cricket, a lot of time spent in each others' pockets.
People become physically and mentally tired - perhaps motivation
became affected. I do think mental preparation is very important
for an England tour.
How do you feel when people talk about South Africa's legacy of
match-fixing since 2000?
Really, really pissed off. Really angry. I can't stand it. It
irritates me. We'll turn it around - I know we'll turn it around.
I'm so frustrated that people can call us cheats in the middle
of a Test match, that people have that image of us. It doesn't
just hurt me, it hurts every single member of the current squad
and they are determined to change that image, not for themselves
but for every member of the public who felt embarrassed, angry
or ashamed when it happened. I promise you, we want to make all
South Africans proud of their cricket team. I promise you that.
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