Smith considered resigning Test captaincy

Graeme Smith has revealed that he considered stepping down from all forms of leadership last year but was talked out of quitting the Test captaincy by Gary Kirsten. Smith led South Africa in all three formats for eight years but relinquished captaincy of the Twenty20 and ODI teams in August 2010 and April 2011 respectively. The latter was timed to coincide with the end of the fifty-over World Cup and it was then that Smith also considered giving up the Test captaincy.

"After the World Cup, when things were tough, it certainly was something that was on my mind," Smith told ESPNcricinfo ahead of the team's departure to England. "Gary played a role in me keeping the captaincy. He talked me into doing it for longer and he was the reason I decided to carry on."

The World Cup was a massive turning point in Smith's career. It seemed to change him on many levels. South Africa were knocked out in the quarter-finals, after failing to chase down a modest total against New Zealand in Dhaka. Having chosen a squad suited to subcontinental conditions, beaten India in a thriller in Nagpur to top their group, and been the only team to bowl out their opposition in all six matches, South Africa appeared set for a run to the final. With expectations growing, they were on track to finally lift an ICC trophy for the first time since 1998, only to run into a tenacious New Zealand, who forced a choke out of South Africa.

The whole squad was shell-shocked by the defeat but Smith was particularly affected. He addressed the media almost in tears as he explained how he had wanted his last act as one-day captain to be a victory. He did not return home with the rest of the team but flew to Ireland to propose to the woman who is now his wife, Morgan Deane. A fickle public rejected him and his profile nosedived. Smith was criticised in many forums, for his lack of both leadership and form.

When he eventually returned home in June, he apologised to fans for the World Cup defeat and his subsequent no-show. It was only through his match-winning century against Australia in the Newlands Test in November that Smith began to win back hearts and minds, although negative sentiment still surrounded his inclusion in the one-day team. Again, it was through a gritty innings, a century against Sri Lanka in January, that Smith regained the faith of the cricketing masses.

He described the period that followed the World Cup as "the most difficult" of his career, because he was also going through a run drought. He thought reducing his load would allow him to concentrate on batting.

However, without any clear replacement available, even though AB de Villiers was appointed limited-overs captain, Smith was asked to stay on and provide continuity at a time when everything, including the coaching staff, was changing. "Gary was a big instigator in me carrying on captaining the Test side," Smith said. "I've certainly enjoyed working with him and the management team, which has also helped. As long as I can keep enjoying it and keep adding value then I will captain."

It is not a job Smith wants to do forever, though. "I don't know if I will captain the Test side for as long as I play. I've only just turned 31 and I feel I still have a lot to offer from a batting perspective but I certainly don't see myself captaining until the time I retire."

Retirement, however, is not in Smith's current plans. "In the long run, I'm going to concentrate on performance. I'm still hungry, I've got a lot of things that I want to achieve."

First on his list of things to do, is captain the side successfully on the tour to England. With South Africa competing for the No.1 ranking in Tests, Smith said he will be required to contribute both with the bat and as a leader if they hope to topple England. He feels he has matured since his first visit to the country in 2003, as a 23-year-old novice captain.

"In the early days I didn't know who I needed to be and what was important from a leadership role. I wanted to come across as a strong leader," Smith said, explaining why he was sometimes perceived as cocky. "But now I'm at peace with things and I think that comes through. I'm more relaxed in showing my personality and how I feel, and I'm much more at peace with understanding what I need to do."