Graeme Smith urges Proteas to stay calm and focused in Test final

Playing at an iconic venue as they take centre stage of the global Test cricket arena, former Proteas captain Graeme Smith has urged the national team to not be too taken by the momentous occasion.

South Africa will face perennial rivals Australia at Lord’s, in London, in the World Test Championship final starting on 11 June.

Though the ICC Test Championship did not exist when Smith was playing, he collected the mace in 2013 as captain of the top-ranked Test team in the world at the end of that season. This after the Proteas beat both England and Australia in series away from home (including a victory at Lord’s).

And Smith offered some advice to the current squad ahead of their attempt to clinch the world title, stating the importance of shaking off the butterflies in order to focus on the task at hand.

“Lord’s is one of the most incredible places to go in your career. It comes with a lot of tradition and it’s one of those grounds you arrive at for training and it’s got an atmosphere even without people in it,” Smith said at an SAB send-off function for the Proteas team in Johannesburg on Friday.

“Often you want to get some of those things out the way and get used to the environment, so when you get to game day it’s all about playing the moments in front of you, being able to perform your skills and having that mental ability to compete as hard as you can.”

‘Make the most of the opportunity’

However, though the national squad needed to concentrate on every session of what could be a gruelling match, Smith felt it was also important for the players to soak in the moment when they stepped onto the park.

“When you’re playing good teams on big occasions in Test matches, it’s about session after session having 11 players who are prepared to front up and give it everything they’ve got because Test cricket is the ultimate test of your cricketing ability,” Smith said.

“But it’s also about taking the occasion. I think this team has earned the right to be there, and they must go and make the most of the opportunity.”