Graeme Smith

Graeme Smith

Smith on the field against Somerset in July 2012.
Personal information
Full name	Graeme Craig Smith
Born	(1981-02-02) 2 February 1981 (age 36) Johannesburg, Transvaal Province, South Africa
Nickname	Biff
Height	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Batting style	Left-handed
Bowling style	Right arm off break
Role	Batsman
International information
National side	South Africa
Test debut (cap 288)	8 March 2002 v Australia
Last Test	1 March 2014 v Australia
ODI debut (cap 68)	30 March 2002 v Australia
Last ODI	27 November 2013 v Pakistan
ODI shirt no.	15
Domestic team information
Years	Team
1999/2000	Gauteng
2000	Hampshire
2000/01–2003/04	Western Province
2004/05–2014	Cape Cobras (squad no. 15)
2005	Somerset
2008–2010	Rajasthan Royals (squad no. 15)
2011	Pune Warriors India
2013–2014	Surrey (squad no. 15)
Career statistics
Competition Test ODI FC LA Matches 117 197 160 259 Runs scored 9,265 6,989 12,653 9,331 Batting average 48.25 37.98 49.23 39.20 100s/50s 27/38 10/47 36/50 14/67 Top score 277 141 311 141 Balls bowled 1,418 1,026 1,786 1,968 Wickets 8 18 11 47 Bowling average 110.62 52.83 102.90 38.21 5 wickets in innings 0 0 0 0 10 wickets in match 0 n/a 0 n/a Best bowling 2/145 3/30 2/145 3/30 Catches/stumpings 169/– 105/– 231/– 137/–
Source: Cricinfo, 11 March 2014

Graeme Craig Smith (born 1 February 1981) is a former South African cricketer and former captain of the South African cricket team Test side, having succeeded Shaun Pollock after the 2003 Cricket World Cup. He was succeeded as captain of the ODI side by AB de Villiers after the 2011 Cricket World Cup. He was also the overseas player and captain of English side Surrey. He appeared in his 100th Test against England on 19 July 2012. He captained his 100th career Test match on 1 February 2013, against Pakistan, on his 32nd Birthday.

A tall, left-handed opening batsman, on the 2003 South African tour of England he made double centuries in consecutive Test matches: 277 at Edgbaston, and 259 at Lord's. The 259 is the highest score made at Lord's by a foreign player. On 24 October 2013, Smith became the second South African and 12th overall to complete 9,000 runs in test cricket in his 112th test match.

Known for the success of his opening partnership with Herschelle Gibbs, South Africa's most prolific ever opening partnership, Smith has the distinction of having been part of all four of South Africa's opening partnerships of over 300 runs: in three of them he was partnered by Gibbs, and in 2008 Smith added 415 for the first wicket with Neil McKenzie against Bangladesh, a world record opening partnership. On 3 March 2014, during the third Test against Australia, he announced his retirement from international cricket.

Born and raised in Johannesburg to parents Graham and Janet, Smith was educated at King Edward VII School. Smith played three Tests, and seven One Day Internationals for South Africa Under-19s, of which five were during the Under 19 Cricket World Cup. He scored one fifty in the test matches, but scored five half-centuries in the one dayers. Smith was also awarded the South African Cricketer of the Year award for his performances in the 2001–02 South African cricket season.