South Africa wants to knock India off the top, says Smith.

[glogirl]

JOHANNESBURG: South Africa Test captain Graeme Smith said on Sunday the priority this season was to challenge India for first position in the world rankings. The South Africans, who are expected to confirm on Monday that former India World Cup-winning coach Gary Kirsten will take charge of the Test, one-day and Twenty20 squads, host Australia and Sri Lanka this year. Speaking in South Africa for the first time since his team suffered a shock World Cup quarterfinal loss to New Zealand two months ago, opening batsman Smith said overtaking India must be the major goal of the Test side. “I remain extremely positive about South Africa as we set about challenging India for their No. 1 Test ranking,” he told a media conference at a Sandton hotel north of Johannesburg. “Our top order did not bat as well as expected (at the World Cup) and it is something — myself included — that we need to work hard to address as we prepare for tough series against Australia and Sri Lanka. “As soon as the new national coach is named I will work out a programme with him to get my game back to the level I expect of myself. “The commitment and pride I feel for representing South Africa is still very close to my heart.” Smith confessed that his form at the World Cup and the Indian Premier League (IPL) had not matched expectations, and hard work over the coming months was the solution. “I will work hard over the next few months to once more attain the high standards I expect of myself. A knee injury that was more serious than originally anticipated cut short my IPL season. “But time is on my side to get fully fit for the new season and to do what I like doing — giving my best for my country,” said the 30-year-old, who recently became engaged to Irish beauty queen Morgan Deane. source: The Hindu

[panesarv]

[rkt.india]

:nervous:

[akshayxyz]

This is the kind of attitude, arrogance, big talking etc. - that has all the potential to nullify the effect of Gary Kirsten as their coach.

[Stuge]

Chokers Gonna Choke !! and haters gonna hate

[Sachin=GOD]

I remember similar remarks before this test :phehehe:

[yoda]

Good to set your goals high. :winky:

[vvvslaxman]

Come on SA. We are not world no.1 check Botham.

[Allyson]

No matter what coach they get (probably it should be Gary) if the players are nt confident and capable of playing their part of the game they will never be ahead of the game. After the world cup this was his 1st press conference, i think for the past 3 months he was studying his half an hour press conference speech. Chakde India

[CSK Fan]

Why dont they want to knowck England off the top?

[jairamesh]

Easy tiger!...the no.1 Test team is England. Smith needs to get his priority right.

[ViruRulez]

Chokers wants to knock us off the top :facepalm:

[glogirl]

Smith you can start challenging India first by batting well against Zaheer Khan.

SMITH:hehe:

[DomainK]

Smith has developed immunity to self pwnage by giving himself small regular doses over a period of time. He has been zombified.

[Dayman]

This is the kind of attitude' date=' arrogance, big talking etc. - that has all the potential to nullify the effect of Gary Kirsten as their coach.[/quote'] That's pretty harsh. I dont see where he was being arrogant.

[Sir john]

chokers :finger:

[Zero_Unit]

when did we hear something similar like this before? Ohh wait the WC 11... But unfortunetly it was the KIWIs that knocked them out :D

[Fontaine]

When did Zaheer Khan give Smith permission to talk about test cricket?