Any flies on the Kia Oval dressing room wall when the new Surrey captain welcomes the team-mate assigned the locker next to him are in for a treat. For they will be in prime position to see Graeme Smith greet the man who once called him a ‘muppet’.
It is a long time since Kevin Pietersen clashed with the captain of the country he left behind but there is bound to be a frisson when two of the three huge names who will join forces for Surrey this year — the other is Ricky Ponting — first get together.
“He’s my locker neighbour in the changing room which is good,” smiled 6ft 3in Smith on his first full day in his new office. Kevin’s a great player who has had a bit of an up-and-down time but when he comes back to Surrey his talents will be more than welcome. He did very well when he played for the club last year.”
Not that Smith, at 32 the man who has captained South Africa in more than a hundred Tests, has any lingering hard feelings against the most high-profile of countrymen who threw in his lot with England.
“Look, I think there was tension between us at first because he was a South African” said Smith. “I would walk into press conferences and things that he had said were put to me. We were put up against each other then.
“But there’s a big mutual respect now and certainly no anger or resentment between us. I’m looking forward to getting to know Kevin better as a person and I will have that opportunity away from the international eye. I want to get to know the man behind the cricketer.”
There will be plenty for the pair to talk about when Pietersen, nursing a knee injury that will keep him out of the start of the season, returns from a recuperative holiday in Dubai. For starters, how about the controversy that overshadowed South Africa’s momentous Test series triumph over England last year, the saga of KP and the “provocative” texts about Andrew Strauss he sent his friends in the opposing team?
“It was extremely awkward,” said Smith about his team’s role in the drama that led to Pietersen’s expulsion by England. “To get dragged into that one was disappointing and to deal with the amount of attention it received before a big Test at Lord’s was tough. Andrew Strauss was in his 100th Test and for all of us it was pretty tense.
“None of us wanted to be dragged into it when we were on the verge of gaining the No 1 Test status, something we had worked so hard for. So it was a bit distracting and obviously there were things going on in the England dressing room that have since emerged, but they seem to have put it straight now.”
It is not exactly unusual for England to be in turmoil whenever Smith is around. When Strauss retired at the end of his side’s humbling defeat at the hands of South Africa he became the third England captain to fall on his sword after coming up against a man who has become a colossus in world cricket.
Smith, who has been at the South Africa Test helm for 10 years, baulks at his reputation as an England captain slayer.
“South African fans love that image of me, but all the England captains who have resigned at the end of our series are guys I have a lot of respect for,” said Smith.
“I would love to catch up with them while I’m here because they’ve achieved a lot in the game.” So how does Smith, who has outlasted them all, rate the England captains he saw off: Nasser Hussain, Michael Vaughan and Strauss?
“From a captaincy point of view Vaughan is especially someone I hold in very high regard,’ he said.
“I only played one game against Nasser as captain and he was pretty hard-nosed and stern, but I found Vaughany a very clever and smart captain with a great ability to manipulate situations tactically. I really enjoyed the way he went about things and he reminded me a lot of Stephen Fleming when I was a young kid.
“And I think Andrew was a real gentleman who gave the game 100 per cent and spoke well and honestly about it. When you approach big series you always focus on how you can put the captain under pressure.
“It is one of the reasons why it all happened with those three. We’ve been able to put the knife in, but they all achieved some wonderful things in the game.”
But not as many wonderful things as Smith. The boy who was asked to become captain of a nation in political transition at the tender age of 22 has grown into one of the elder statesmen of cricket, taking South Africa to the top of the Test game.
He has been recruited by England’s biggest county on a three-year deal to lead them out of turmoil of their own, caused by the tragedy of Tom Maynard’s death last year.
“There have been some tough times here but the spirit does seem good at the club now and there’s a bit more experience than last year,” said Smith.
“It’s important the club takes steps in the right direction and the culture and environment here will be crucial. Hopefully I can add to that.
“Our job is to play well as cricketers and respect a club with such a huge stature and represent them well.”
Maynard’s death came amid talk of a drinking culture at Surrey among young players perhaps blinded by the bright lights of London. In Smith they now have someone who has handled pretty much everything the game can throw at him.
“I need to find out things for myself and not go on hearsay,” said Smith. “There are young boys who will want to have fun and enjoy themselves, but as long as they know where their responsibilities lie and the stature of this club they will be fine.
“I’ve come in with an open mind and I’m looking forward to building relationships and helping people grow. That will be the key. The club is moving in a good direction.”
When Smith plays for South Africa in this year’s Champions Trophy in June he will be replaced as Surrey’s overseas player by a player with an even bigger reputation — the great Ponting.
The pair will then join forces in the Friends Life T20 to recreate the glory days of big overseas signings in domestic cricket’s past.
“Ricky has been someone I’ve battled against for many years and is certainly the most competitive guy I’ve ever known,” said Smith. “We’ve built a nice relationship off the field and for me to play with and learn from him will be great.”
And Smith, who has led South Africa to series wins in England and Australia in the last year, is perfectly placed to give a neutral verdict on this summer’s Ashes.
“Pretty clearly England are big favourites here in England,” he insisted. “The current team are very strong at home and have been successful around the world for a period of time now.
“They have more solidity and understanding of what it takes to be successful in these conditions. I think it will be tough for Australia, especially if the ball swings.”
Spoken like a true adopted son of the Oval. – Daily Mail
