Cricket: Captain puts job on the line by attacking the game's administrators

Graeme Smith decided to gamble with his job as South Africa's captain yesterday with a ferocious attack on the men running his country's cricket.

He abandoned diplomacy in favour of candour in an emotional appeal aimed at salvaging the test series against England.

"A lot of things need to happen in South African cricket," said Smith after his side went 1-0 down in the series.

"The new convener has different issues and the new coach wants different things to happen in the team, but we have to start working towards something.

"The captain is just starting back with the same things he started six months ago. The United Cricket Board have to stabilise the key positions. The more you jump around, the worse things become.

"From the top down, from selectors to the coach, we need stability."

It was a risky position to take for a captain whose side have won only one of their last six test series and are now well-placed to lose another.

In the board's present mood it would not be beyond them to decide Smith ought to be the next to go.

So uncertain is the state of the nation's cricket that the team are being picked by a temporary convener of selectors, Haroon Lorgat, and organised by an interim coach, Ray Jennings.

Smith fears yet more player change. In the first test, South Africa had two debutants and two more players in just their third test match. It told in every case.

He claimed that he and Jennings were getting on well.

"He's a different sort of guy with different thought processes and it's good to have someone with a challenging voice and mind. He's definitely brought more hardness to the team.

"Our confidence in key situations isn't as good as it could be.

"One or two good days could make a real difference to us and this test series has got a hell of a long way to go."

- INDEPENDENT