• Home
  • Cricket News
  • South African Legendary Captain Graeme Smith Celebrates 43Rd Birthday

South African Legendary Captain Graeme Smith Celebrates 43rd Birthday 

image-ls2wkz0zGraeme Smith [X.com]

One of the finest ever Test captains to have graced the field, South African legend Graeme Smith celebrates his birthday on Thursday (February 1). The unorthodox opening batter and among the greatest leaders at the international stage, Smith turns 43. 

A highly influential captain and character, Smith is renowned for reviving South African cricket after it hit rock bottom with the match-fixing scandal at the turn of the century. 

Taking over from the tainted Hansie Cronje at the age of just 22, Smith not only embarked on a successful journey on the field but also managed to restore faith and trust in the country's passionate cricket lovers. 

Smith became the first player in the history of Test cricket to have led his nation in 100 or more Tests, an incredible phase for the Proteas when they won Test series in Pakistan, Bangladesh, England, drew in India while clinching a maiden Test series in Australia. 

Graeme Smith Turns 43

Between 2007 and 2013 when Smith played his last Test match for South Africa, the Proteas won an eye-catching eight away series and went through an overall jaw-dropping 11-series unbeaten streak from April 2006 to December 2008. 

South Africa won a whopping 53 of Smith's 108 Tests at the helm, losing just 28. He had an overall win/loss ratio of 1.892 as captain, which remarkably stood at 1.833 even when the veteran guided his troops in foreign conditions. 

Smith's excellence as a skipper tends to overshadow his greatness as a dependable opening batter. Smith led the Proteas from the front, averaging 48.30 for 8,647 runs in Tests with 25 centuries and 36 half-centuries. His overall tally of 9,253 runs from 116 Tests makes him the third highest run-getter for South Africa after second-placed Hashim Amla and numero uno Jacques Kallis. 

Smith also played 196 ODIs and 33 T20Is for the Proteas and collected 6,989 and 982 runs in the two white-ball formats, respectively. He led South Africa to the 2007 and 2011 editions of the World Cup. Post retirement, Smith has moved to broadcasting and administration and is currently the Director of Cricket for CSA and SA20 League.