Proteas skipper Graeme Smith on Wednesday announced his decision to stand down as national captain of the T20 international squad with immediate effect.
Smith will also relinquish captaincy of the one-day squad at the conclusion of the Cricket World Cup next year, but will remain captain of the Test squad and will be available for selection for the Proteas in all three formats of the game.
“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,” commented Smith. “After a lot of thought and consideration I have decided to step down from the captaincy of the ODI squad at the conclusion of the 2011 ICC World Cup campaign.
“I will also stand down as captain of the Pro20 International squad with immediate effect.”
Smith said there were several reasons why he 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. — Sapa