Was there any planning involved or was it simple fact — that South Africa played better than Australia?
There was a lot of planning, no doubt. South Africa’s initial target was to beat England in England. After we achieved that, we knew we are capable of much higher deeds. To beat Australia in Australia was part of our long term plan. We gained a lot of confidence when India beat Australia. India’s win showed us the way. Graeme Smith Factor — how much was it responsible? Smith’s influence has been tremendous. He is a natural leader and that was a big plus for the side. He made a lot of runs. There were a lot of young players who blended well with the experienced players. Smith gave them a proper direction. Is Smith a better batsman or a better captain? He is as good a captain as he is a leader. He made the most runs in the last calendar year. And he was the Man of the Series in Australia as well. Many past cricketers of South Africa have said that Smith’s current team is better than Hansie Cronje’s side… I don’ know if it is right to compare the teams of two different periods. Cronje
