Should Graeme Smith have walked out?

[butchering lee]

i don't think you can knock smith for nel steyn selection - they're better bowlers than langvelt (at least i think so, despite charl being a steady performer and maybe would've been a better choice against england) with better stats and more pace. a mute point i think.

the rest - well, i don't feel strongly enough about it but i think the only time smith really would've been better of shutting it was the home series to oz (even then he spectactularly both walked and talked in the ODI series). he was completely outmanouvered by flemming first meeting (embarrassing if you're SA, amusing if you're me) but he's since held his own v NZ. in oz he said he was trying to relieve pressure and again i think he did well in this regard. for 4 days of, i think every test, they were as good and often better than oz. but the team cannot play the five days and were ultimately bettered.

at that point smith should've accepted SA's test frailties and kept stum in SA. they're not a bad test team but they have a lot to learn (all of them). maybe SA will find a better captain (in fact probably) but pollock was not it and prince...not convinced yet