Skipper Graeme Smith has shrugged off the World XI’s inglorious showings in the Super Series one-dayers and has promised to lift the players’ commitment for this week’s Test match with Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
The world players were booed by sections of the 30 000 crowd at Melbourne’s Docklands stadium on Sunday after they meekly succumbed to a 156-run loss to the Australians in the final one-dayer to drop the series 3-0.
The energised Australians pounded the world bowling again to amass 293 for five off their 50 overs and then skittled the world’s superstars for a paltry 137 off 27,5 overs to complete a sorry lopsided series of one-dayers.
Smith, the young South African captain, now faces the challenge of picking up the spirits of the battered world team and getting them competitive in the six-day Test match at the spin-friendly SCG.
”I don’t think you can build a team overnight,” Smith told reporters on Monday.
”I think the key is to get the intensity right, to get the guys playing their the roles within the team and to get that level of intensity whether batting or bowling required to beat Australia.
”It takes a while to build up the team and the team environment and you pretty much have to rush it so it’s crucial that the guys reach their right intensity.”
Australia are formidable at home and haven’t lost a Test series here since 1992-93 and they will be particularly pumped-up after their excellent performances in the one-day component of the Super Series.
”There’s always a lot of questions about players’ commitment in these sorts of series and I think it is important that we can turn that around in this Test match,” Smith said.
”I think Test cricket is going to be very different to one-day cricket and if we can get things right we have the players who can do it. My job will be to get the roles right, the intensity right.”
One of the intriguing challenges confronting Smith in this week’s Test will be how he utilises the likely spin duo of Muttiah Muralitharan and Daniel Vettori, who were among the few successes in the world one-day team in Melbourne.
South African cricket is not noted historically for its spinners, such as Australia and the sub-continent teams, but Smith is looking forward to having the beguiling Muralitharan in his lineup.
”We [South Africa] haven’t had a spinner and I was joking with Polly [world XI one day captain Shaun Pollock] the other night that it would be nice to just bring on Muralitharan and he just changes the game for us.
”It’s a difficult situation than what we are used to, but it’s nice to have that in your armoury and I’m looking forward to having the chance to use him.”
The choice of Smith as captain of the World XI Test team has been criticised, particularly by former Australian Test captain Ian Chappell, who said New Zealand’s Stephen Fleming should have got the job ahead of the comparatively-inexperienced Smith.
”It did come as a surprise. Three, four years in the game and two years in the captaincy… it did come as a surprise. It’s obviously a huge honour and something I’m looking forward to,” Smith said.
”I’m very comfortable with who I am and confident in myself as captain.
”I do obviously [think I am the right man]. Everyone’s entitled to their opinion.
”That’s the great thing about this series. Everyone’s going to have their own opinion on who should be there. I’ve been given the opportunity. It’s my job to make it work.” – Sapa-AFP