SARrugby.com

@clever

After reading your comments on G Smith, 1 thing became apparrent to me...

You should stick to the rugby side of the forum!

Nothing irks me more than someone trying to pretend that they know something!

Yes, G Smith did have a massive average after those 2 doubles in England....

But where you went horribly wrong in your assesment is where you stated "check the stats over the last three years and you will see what really happened"

Take a look at his ratting graph below my friend, and you'll see how solid his rating has been over his career:

You'll also be able to note the folloiwing:

1. Since Jul 08 (4 years ago) he has maintained and exceeded 750 ranking points, which is the benchmark.
2. He made it to 8000 runs in fewer tests than Gooch, Waugh (x2), Chanderpaul, Border and a few other all time greats.
3. He took 3 innings more than Kallis to get to 8000 runs
4. His average has never been lower than 47
5. His average in England in 2007 was 79.33... Hardly as high as one would have expected!
6. He has scored more 4th innings runs than anyone else in the history of test cricket.... the hardest time to bat is in the 4th innings.
7. He also opens the batting... which is the most challenging time to bat
8. To really add salt to your bullshit.... here are his series stats since 2008:

...i could go on!

So next time you choose to have a dig at a player, please check out the real facts first my brother!

Flash

Don't throw your toys out of the cot.   U said that Smith was recently not as good in batting than he was when he started off.   I watched most of the games he played in and he did not make as many runs as he used to.   I nevr saud anything bad about Smith - I only mentioned that should he decide to stop playing on interntional level - he is replacable,   That does not make him a poor player - it is merely an honest observation.  

He is about as replaceable as Kallis. If you however want to replace him with similar or better, you are going to look far and wide and still come out short. One of the true greats. Ad his captaincy over the last couple of years, he is the best cricketer from SA EVER. Yes, I rate him above Kallis, and that says a lot!

 Draad i am sure you are welcome to your oppinion but surely rating Greame Smith as the best cricketer Ever in Sa? I am inclined to disagree. This is not even debatable, the best cricekter south africa has ever produced and possibly the best cricketer in the world ever is Jacques Kallis. How can you compare greame smith against a guy who's career compares favourably with guys like Viv Richards and Garfield Sobers when the argument for best cricketer comes up. Normally for anyone to be able to come into cotention for that position they wiil need to be an all round cricketer, and Greame doesn't bowl.

Greame might be a good batsman with flawes in hid tecnique, but best criceter south africa has ever produced, not even debateable.

Spot on Ek and thanks for some great stats Flash. I have to say it is difficult to find a player who adds greater value than Kallis. Bradman is his only rival?

Smith has had an outstanding career and should continue at test level if nothing else. To me his one day game is just fine as well.