#NewsBytesExclusive: Graeme Smith picks ABD as greatest Proteas player (IPL)
What's the story
Former South African captain Graeme Smith has picked AB de Villiers as the greatest Proteas player to have featured in the Indian Premier League (IPL). In association with Betway, Smith answered several questions from NewsBytes. The Proteas legend also reacted to the impact of players prioritizing franchise leagues over international cricket. Let's have a look at the excerpts.
ABD
ABD or Faf: Greatest South African to have played IPL?
"I don't think Faf (du Plessis) will be upset with me if I say AB (de Villiers). AB's one of the greatest to have played the game for South Africa. There are not many players that come along from a style and a performance perspective that fundamentally change the game. I think AB was one that changed batting. His ability to score all around. How he could take an attack down in the short formats in the IPL and also be a guy that can walk in the middle order like that and just tear someone apart."
ConcernÂ
Following Klaasen's retirement, what can SA do to retain players?
"I think SA20 has gone a long way to retaining talent. Obviously, having a league of the stature, the extra increased revenue for players is dramatic. If we hadn't built the SA20, I think free agency in South African cricket would be dramatic. It's probably around 20 South African players that are involved in the IPL. The platform that the SA20 tournament has given our players is great. It's also helped with retention with the increased earnings."
Klaasen
Smith reacts to Klaasen's retirement
While Smith called Heinrich Klaasen's international retirement a big loss for SA, he reckons David Miller will continue to serve the Proteas despite not being centrally contracted. "Klaasen is obviously a big loss. It seems like it's family-related, and maybe one or two personal issues around certain leaders in South African cricket, I don't know. But with Miller, my guess is that he's probably spoken to Cricket South Africa and made himself available for as much cricket as possible in the run-up to 2027 World Cup."
Franchise legues
Can non-international players consistently thrive in T20 leagues?
Smith reckons one "needs to be highly professional" to thrive in T20 leagues without playing international cricket. "If you go from franchise cricket to play for South Africa, there's always a structure available for you. I think that if you have gaps between tournaments, then you've got to be able to create your own professional structure, whether it's your own physio, your own coach, how much you train—your professionalism will be tested."
Faf
Smith cites du Plessis's example
Smith also cited du Plessis's example, as the veteran continues to do well in leagues despite last playing for SA in 2021. "Someone like Faf du Plessis has created longevity because he's been able to do that. He's fit, motivated, and prepares well. He puts the work in. The hard part about walking away from an international career is that that's always there for you, but now you've got to create it for yourself in between leagues."
IPL
What can be negative impacts of batters' dominance in IPL?
Smith "hopes" that the dominance of batters in the IPL won't have a negative impact on the mindset of the next generation of bowlers. "The skills of the next generation coming through is different and they're developing more. You always want to see a slight balance between bat and ball. With the smaller boundaries, flatter pitches and the likes of impact players, the IPL is setting the standard in terms of providing depth so that batters can just go hard and as long as possible."
IPL vs SA20
Is SA20 more balanced than IPL?
"If I take the SA20, we don't have the impact player. Bowlers definitely have more of a role to play. Pitches maybe aren't always as consistent as IPL pitches. You think about Australia, the boundaries are much bigger, stadium sizes are different. Even though power hitting gets you far into the tournament, I truly believe when it gets to crunch time, it's those key bowlers that change the landscape win you games".