Graeme Smith, South Africa's youngest cricket captain ever, has said he would rather be remembered as a great player -- like Sachin Tendulkar -- than a great captain.
"I would like to be a great player one day. How many of the greats were known as great aged 22? Probably Sachin (Tendulkar), because he started at 16. Greatness lies completely in the eye of the beholder," the 22-year-old Smith said in an interview published in 'The Guardian' at London on Tuesday.
Smith did not top the popularity charts back home in South Africa when he replaced Shaun Pollock as captain after the team's World Cup debacle early this year. He also irked many a fan when he publicly accused Lance Klusener as being a "disruptive influence" in the team.
But he seemed to have won all their hearts back with his record equalling back to back double hundreds in South Africa's two Tests against England in recent weeks.
Rated as underdogs when they went into the five-Test series with an apprentice as skipper, Smith's Bradmanesque batting has made South Africa the strong favourites to win the series following their innings victory in the second Test at Lord's.
Smith admitted he was not the most free-scoring batsman in the world, "probably not the best to look at for much of the time, unlike Herschelle (Gibbs), but you get something different from me. I'm good in other areas" he was quoted as saying.
Referring to the stategy that he had worked out before the Lord's victory, Smith said he would happily concede that such plans were no more than logic.
"I have no desire to be remebered as a great captain. I seek headlines as a player, perhaps, by making big scores and doing it consistently but not as a captain.
"I don't want headlines as a captain, the team deserves those. I would hate to see a player in my team playing for himself or for the sake of records or averages alone.
"Entries in Wisden's record section are a by-poduct of playing well and winning as a team. I'd like to be known as a great player, but as a captain I'd like to be remembered for having a great team."
Smith issued the players' mission statement at Johannesburg airport before the tour.
"To play for South Africa is the ultimate accolade. No player has the divine right to play for his country. It is an honour and a privilege to do so.
"Pride and passion are our watchwords when playing for South Africa. We want to become the best and to do so we need players who are totally committed and will give absolutely everything to get to the top," he read out then.
Coming so soon after the discarding of Lance Klusener, Smith's approach to the job was obvious. There would be no easing-in period.
Metaphorical team hugs -- in the form of dinners, strategy meetings and evening gym sessions -- became compulsory. They caused some eye-rolling among senior players.
But by confronting issues he knew to be problematical, he had first silenced them and then won them over.
