Smith appointed CSA director of cricket
Johannesburg, South Africa - Graeme Smith has been announced on Wednesday as South Africa's first director of cricket, albeit in a temporary role, after several months of negotiation.
Smith has signed on for three months and will begin work immediately, with two weeks to go before South Africa plays England in a four-Test series at home, starting on Boxing Day, followed by three ODIs and as many T20Is.
The position was created in the aftermath of South Africa's underwhelming 2019 World Cup campaign, and involves overseeing all cricket played under Cricket South Africa (CSA) administration.
The former captain could not take on the role for longer at this stage, because of his commitment to commentating in the IPL in 2020, a tournament which runs from March 23 to May 12. Smith's availability beyond May is not known but will be established by CSA in future.
The time frame means that Smith will only be able to work on the men's national team for the England series and the limited-overs matches against Australia which conclude on March 7, and not take on all the responsibilities intended for the director of cricket.
The position was intended to include the women's, age-group and academy teams and to create an national strategy. However, given the limitations on Smith's time, he will not be involved in the U19 World Cup (which starts in January 2020) or the Women's T20 World Cup (which will be played in February-March 2020). Instead, Smith's most urgent task will be to appoint a national selection panel and coaching staff for the men's national side as it prepares to take on England.
Speaking of his new role, Smith said: "I've publicly stated a number of times that I would love to assist CSA in this difficult time, particularly in developing this new role of director of cricket. I'm still as passionate about South African cricket as I ever was, and I'm looking forward to getting stuck into the role. There is a lot of work to be done in the next few weeks and months and my objective will always be to make a positive impact during my tenure."
Acting CEO Jacques Faul said of Smith's appointment: "I am delighted that Graeme has agreed to assist Cricket South Africa up until the IPL next year.”