Smith gets to work making world stars competitive in Super Test
SYDNEY, Monday (AFP) 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 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 get 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
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. |