Graeme Smith Turns Down Cricket South Africa's Director Role

Following the loss in World Cup and in the recent tour to India, the cricket board of South Africa has come up with the new position to make things fall in place. For the same, they have asked the former skipper Graeme Smith to take the role and help the team to come up with the good show in upcoming fixtures. Though everything looked set to see him in the new role, at the last moment, he moved away from the new role citing a surprising reason.

After applying for the role of director for Cricket South Africa’s (CSA), former captain Graeme Smith has withdrawn his interest on Thursday. In a statement issued on his Twitter feed, Smith said he was not confident that he would have been given the freedom to do the job on his own terms.

Graeme Smith confirmed that he had been interviewed by CSA for a position which would effectively have put him in charge of the national team, who have sustained a miserable set of results since losing a home Test series against Sri Lanka in February.

I would love to have taken the role – Graeme Smith

According to ESPNcricinfo, the 38-year-old faced competition for the role, which was created after the 2019 Cricket World Cup, from interim post-holder Corrie van Zyl and former national selector Hussein Manack.

“I would love to have taken on the role,” the 38-year-old Smith said. However, despite my obvious desire to make a difference, during the long and, at times, frustrating process over the last 10 or so weeks of discussions, I have not developed the necessary confidence that I would be given the level of freedom and support to initiate the required changes.”

“I give my heartfelt best wishes to whoever does take the role on. I will continue to support the teams and give my advice and guidance whenever I can,” Graeme Smith concluded on his Twitter statement.

Please see my statement below on the Director of Cricket role for Cricket South Africa pic.twitter.com/uuv4kjIF3j

— Graeme Smith (@GraemeSmith49) November 14, 2019

The national team has struggled to fill the voids created by the retirements of top players such as AB de Villiers, Dale Steyn, Hashim Amla and Morne Morkel. Perhaps, it would have been a good chance for Smith to recreate his magic for South Africa.

Graeme Smith has been a notable member in the world cricket for his heroics on the field. In fact, he was handed the reins at 22 – which made him his country’s youngest captain and tasked with restoring the faith of his countrymen after Hansie Cronje scenario.