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Graeme Smith announces retirement from International Cricket

South Africa’s Test Captain Graeme Smith announced his retirement from International Cricket on Monday. The 33-year-old Smith revealed this to his team-mates soon after the third day’s play of the 3rd Sunfoil Test at Newlands. Graeme Smith will retire soon after the completion of the 3rd Test and he will have one more innings to his long career.

Graeme Smith has been a fourth innings specialist for South Africa. And he will get another opportunity for Graeme Smith to play a heroic knock with the South Africans having their backs to the walls in the third and final Test at the Sahara Park. Known for playing big knocks, Graeme Smith has as many as 5 double centuries in Test Cricket with a highest score of 277 against England in 2003.

Graeme Smith

Graeme Smith

Smith will be the second South African to retire after the great all-rounder Jacques Kallis. Graeme Smith will finish his career with 117 Tests. The left-handed opening batsman decided to end his career despite having an opportunity to complete 10,000 Test runs! Till date, Graeme Smith has 9262 runs with an average of a little less than 49.00. Smith has 27 centuries and 38 half centuries in Test Cricket till date.

Graeme Smith’s ODI career ended last November against Pakistan at Port Elizabeth. He has played 197 ODIs scoring 6989 runs with 10 centuries and 47 fifties at an average of 37.98. Smith also featured in 33 T20Is in which he scored 5 fifties.

Smith’s international career started early when he was just 21. He made his Test Debut in 2002 against Australia at Newlands, the same venue where he will be bowing out. In just his second year in international cricket, Graeme Smith was made South Africa Captain at 22 replacing legendary all-rounder Shaun Pollock.

Graeme Smith since then has gone onto become the most capped Test Captain in the sport’s history. For the record, Graeme Smith has been the Captain for 109 out of the 117 Tests that he has played in his career. He also holds the record for being the most successful Test captain.

Quotes on Graeme Smith’s retirement:

Graeme Smith: “This has been the most difficult decision I have ever had to make in my life. It’s a decision that I have been considering since my ankle surgery in April last year. I have a young family to consider, and I felt that retiring at Newlands would be the best way to end it because I have called this place home since I was 18 years-old.

“I have always been someone who has left everything out there on the field for my team and for my country. I’m extremely honoured and proud to have had the privilege to lead so many wonderful players and to have been a part of building the Proteas culture to what it is today. It is a culture that every player can be, and is, immensely proud of,” Smith continued.

“I would like to express my deepest gratitude to the support from my parents and brother, my wife and children, my friends, my sponsors, my fans and to Cricket South Africa. I thank and honour the players who I have played with and those who have supported me and helped me to be the person and captain I am today. I have been fortunate to have had many highs, amongst them leading and being part of the best Test team in the world. I will cherish these memories for the rest of my life. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I bid my career a fond yet sad farewell.”

Haroon Lorgat, Cricket South Africa Chief Executive: “Although Graeme’s decision to retire from all forms of international cricket comes as a surprise to all of us, we must respect him for deciding to call time,” commented CSA Chief Executive, Haroon Lorgat. “Knowing him as well as I do, having been instrumental as a selector in appointing him as a young captain, he would not have taken this decision lightly or without a great deal of thought.

“He has captained the Proteas for more than a decade and he will draw a lot more satisfaction from the fact that he leaves our Test team at the top of the world and in such good health rather than from all the personal records he has achieved as the longest-serving captain the game has ever seen in the demanding Test format. He also led South Africa to the World Cup semi-final in 2007.

“I would like us to remember Graeme for his nerves of steel and his match-winning performances that were synonymous with some of the most remarkable fourth innings victory chases of all time. These included setting up the 414 runs chase against Australia at Perth and his series-clinching innings at Edgbaston in 2008, not to mention the unbeaten century the last time he faced Australia at Sahara Park Newlands in 2011.

“His role in setting up the famous 438 win over Australia in 2006 was also a performance never to be forgotten.

“He can leave the game with pride and he thoroughly deserves the gratitude of our nation for leading the Proteas with much distinction. From a personal point of view I am thrilled that I was part of the panel that appointed him captain in 2003 when his first major assignment was a tough tour to England and I feel privileged to see him now move on to the next stage of his career. He has been a mighty warrior, a leader of men and an exceptional part of our international cricket.

“Following the recent retirement of Jacques Kallis from Test cricket, there is no doubt that we are now ready to move into a new era and it is our job to build on the solid foundations that these great players leave behind.”
Smith made his first-class debut for South Africa at the age of 21, and ends his illustrious career with 17 228 International runs and as the most capped Test captain in the history of the game. “