All posts tagged: Graeme

Graeme Swann on Ben Stokes after nightclub row

Graeme Swann on Ben Stokes after nightclub row

Published by Webster

3 min readJun 13, 2026 04:27 PM IST Former England spinner Graeme Swann expressed concern about the Ben Stokes incident at a night club after their 1st Test win vs New Zealand last week, saying that he hopes that it was not the end of the road for the England captain. Stokes and pacer Gus Atkinson was dropped from the England squad for the second Test vs the Kiwis with the ECB saying they were not available for selection due to the investigation going on. “I don’t know. I hope it’s not the end because he’s the best captain we’ve had, arguably, since Andrew Strauss. Alastair Cook’s not going to like that. Sorry, Cooky,” “I think he’s (Stokes) a very good man manager and leads by example. He really does lead by example. That’s where he’s let himself down,” he said to PTI. Swann also said that the placement of curfew on players was not the ideal thing to do, adding that ‘the day you’re not allowed to celebrate winning a Test match for your …

‘India in an interesting transition with Gambhir and the senior players’: Graeme Smith | Cricket News

‘India in an interesting transition with Gambhir and the senior players’: Graeme Smith | Cricket News

Published by Webster

India may be going through a transition but it will still be a surprise if they do not reach the last four of the T20 World Cup at the very least, former South Africa captain Graeme Smith has said. Smith, who is currently the League Commissioner for the SA20, said that while he hopes South Africa beat India in the final if the two sides meet again, he would be very surprised if India are not among the frontrunners for the title in this year’s tournament, particularly considering the depth of talent they have. “Listen, with India’s talent, you can never write them off,” Smith is quoted as saying by Times of India. “It’s a home World Cup. And it does seem an interesting transition phase in Indian cricket, you know, between Gautam (Gambhir) and senior players and, you know, who’s next and how that transition happens. And it seems to be in an interesting place. So, it’s going to be good to watch how things go. But certainly from a talent perspective, India, if …

AB de Villiers hails Temba Bavuma, says he leads like MS Dhoni, unlike intimidating Graeme Smith: ‘He hardly raises…’

AB de Villiers hails Temba Bavuma, says he leads like MS Dhoni, unlike intimidating Graeme Smith: ‘He hardly raises…’

Published by Parlour News

Updated on: Nov 28, 2025 06:11 pm IST AB de Villiers highlighted how Temba Bavuma’s quiet authority mirrors MS Dhoni’s calm captaincy style. Temba Bavuma’s stature as a Test captain continues to rise rapidly, with his unbeaten run still intact since taking over the role. Leading South Africa to the World Test Championship title pushed him firmly into the spotlight, and the historic series win on Indian soil only added to his growing legacy. Under his leadership, South Africa’s transition in red-ball cricket has been remarkably smooth, reflected in their recent performances. His composed captaincy in India, especially the vital innings he played on a challenging pitch under immense pressure in the first Test, has further elevated his standing, placing him firmly among the most impressive Proteas captains in recent history. AB de Villiers likens Temba Bavuma’s captaincy to MS Dhoni(Reuters and AFP) Proteas legend AB de Villiers admitted Bavuma has exceeded expectations as Test captain, noting how his composed leadership defies first impressions and contrasts sharply with Graeme Smith’s imposing presence, proving that stature …

‘IPL is the beast’: SA20 looking to be ‘biggest league’ outside of Indian T20 giant, says Graeme Smith

‘IPL is the beast’: SA20 looking to be ‘biggest league’ outside of Indian T20 giant, says Graeme Smith

Published by Parlour News

Feb 11, 2025 06:52 PM IST SA20 league commissioner Graeme Smith feels that the league has a lot of the core principles right, just like the IPL did in its nascent stages.  The SA20’s ultimate aim is to become the biggest T20 league in the world outside of the Indian Premier League, league commissioner Graeme Smith has said. The South African great said that the league, which completed its third season on Sunday, has ticked a lot of the right boxes which the IPL also had in its nascent stages. MI Cape Town beat the Sunrisers Eastern Cape by 76 runs to win the 2025 SA20. (SA20) “We know that the IPL is the beast and we want to be the biggest league outside of India,” Smith said in an interaction with Indian media. “We got a lot of the early building blocks right like the IPL – good cricket, fans coming to the games and so on.” Considered one of South Africa’s most succesfull captains of all time, Smith was among the biggest names …

Graeme Smith feels South Africa are likely to end ICC trophy drought in 2025 | Cricket News

Graeme Smith feels South Africa are likely to end ICC trophy drought in 2025 | Cricket News

Published by Webster

When it comes to ICC events, South Africa have always been the proverbial bridesmaids with the Proteas failing to win a major trophy even with world-class talents at their disposal. The latest heartbreak came against India last June when South Africa, who were heading towards a sure-shot victory in the final of the T20 World Cup, unravelled and fell short leading to the Men in Blue ending their own long ICC title drought. With the Champions Trophy set to begin on February 19, former Proteas skipper Graeme Smith is of the opinion that South Africa will end their prolonged wait for an ICC title by winning the whole thing on March 9. Smith also pointed out that the World Test Championship, which will take place in June this year, is another opportunity for the Proteas to clinch an ICC silverware. “Hopefully, we will end that wait much before the 2027 World Cup, with the Champions Trophy and WTC final coming up but if South Africa could win a WC trophy in front of a home …

Graeme Smith, Virat Kohli…Steve Smith: Check out list the Australian stand-in skipper in match vs SL made progress in | Cricket News

Graeme Smith, Virat Kohli…Steve Smith: Check out list the Australian stand-in skipper in match vs SL made progress in | Cricket News

Published by Webster

Australian stand-in skipper Steven Smith scored back-to-back tons during the ongoing series against Sri Lanka in Galle. The 35-year-old now has piled on 36 tons in his Test career. He is fifth on the all-time list and is only behind the likes of Kumar Sangakkara, Ricky Ponting, Jacques Kallis and Sachin Tendulkar. In addition to that Smith’s ton in Galle is 17th away from excluding his tons at neutral venues. He has got the most centuries away for an Australian batter. In addition to that he is now placed fourth on the list of most tons as a captain in the red-ball format. Graeme Smith tops the list with 25 tons and India’s Virat Kohli is second with 20 tons. Story continues below this ad   © IE Online Media Services Pvt Ltd Expand Disclaimer: We do not own any of the content, ideas, images, or text presented here. All rights belong to their respective owners. For more information and to view the original source, please visit the following link: Source link

IPL is the leader in franchise cricket…we can only learn from them: Graeme Smith | Cricket News

IPL is the leader in franchise cricket…we can only learn from them: Graeme Smith | Cricket News

Published by Webster

SA20 commissioner Graeme Smith has lauded the IPL and said SA20 and other franchise leagues can only learn from the IPL. The former South African skipper also thanked IPL for their support. “BCCI and IPL have been amazing in supporting us and guiding us in every decision we have made. IPL is the leader in franchise cricket by far, and we can only learn from them,” he said to PTI. “A lot of hard work went in the beginning to getting the structures right, to getting the business model right as well. It was about trying to attract the right type of partners. We were very fortunate at the time that some of the most experienced franchises in world cricket, the best, the most competitive, are the IPL franchises,” Smith said before the tournament. Story continues below this ad “They attract the best players. For me, one of the standouts is being in that first week of cricket and standing in each stadium behind inand seeing how the fans are dressed in the colours of …

Graeme Smith Targets for SA20 To Rival IPL’s Influence in Cricket

Graeme Smith Targets for SA20 To Rival IPL’s Influence in Cricket

Published by Webster

SA20 Graeme Smith has hailed the Indian Premier League (IPL) as the best league in franchise cricket, from which SA20 can ‘only learn’ and improve. The third season of SA20 is underway, showcasing young talent in South Africa and Smith aspires to make the league the second-best after the IPL. He appreciates IPL’s support in developing SA20, aiming for its influence in cricket. “BCCI and IPL have been amazing in supporting us and guiding us in every decision we have made. IPL is the leader in franchise cricket by far, and we can only learn from them,” Smith told PTI. Ahead of the SA20 2025 season, IPL veteran Dinesh Karthik joined Paarl Royals and became the first Indian player to participate in SA20. However, the team fell short in the second qualifier, losing to the two-time champions, Surisers Eastern Cape in Centurion. When asked about more Indian players joining the league in the future, Smith expressed enthusiasm, stating they would welcome them if available. Dinesh Karthik(Image: SA20) “We always said that we have worked with …

SA20 commissioner Graeme Smith: ‘We’re built against ILT20… feel a league like that is not good for game’ | Cricket News

SA20 commissioner Graeme Smith: ‘We’re built against ILT20… feel a league like that is not good for game’ | Cricket News

Published by Webster

SA20 (Franchise League in South Africa) commissioner Graeme Smith would say that the ILT20 (Franchise League in UAE) is not good for the game. “There’s no investment back into local cricket. That is a challenge for the world game and something that needs to be managed going forward,” Smith reasoned on why the UAE-based League is not good for the game. Smith speaking at the captain’s day press conference in Cape Town said, “We see ourselves as very different to the ILT20. We’re a South African league, with a majority of South African players and our ultimate goal is to benefit South African players. We’ve been built up against ILT20, so it’s very difficult for me to not come across like I’m bad-mouthing them, but I do feel like a league like that is not good for the game.” Unlike SA20 which follows the Indian Premier League model where a team can fill four overseas players in the playing XI in ILT20, a team can play with nine foreigners in their playing XI. Additionally, SA20 …

Graeme Smith Targets for SA20 To Rival IPL’s Influence in Cricket

“Extremely Hard for Other Nations” Graeme Smith Questions on Two-Tier Test Structure

Published by Webster

Graeme Smith (image: X) After the rumours of the introduction of a tier system in test cricket sparked a debate, Graeme Smith has made a strong impression with his views as the proteas have reached the final of the WTC champions 2025 in Lord’s. South Africa’s qualification for the WTC finals playing only fewer matches than England and India has stirred debates and controversy. Amid these happenings, a two-tier structure in test cricket has sparked a debate. Smith feels that the need for South Africa, West Indies and Sri Lanka to be stronger to improve the cricket eco-system and questions. “can you see a world where there are only three nations playing cricket in the future?” “I was just looking at a note this morning at how much England and India are playing each other over the next period, and Australia and vice versa.” “It gets extremely hard for the other nations… India are probably the best because they are commercially so reliable for the other nations.” “But where do you find the top three …