The loss to South Africa raises question over the leadership of Steve Smith: Kepler Wessels

Former Test batsman Kepler Wessels says Australia’s disastrous one-day tour of South Africa is another blow to Steve Smith’s captaincy. The Proteas hold a 4-0 series lead with one match to play after a convincing six-wicket win over Australia at Port Elizabeth on Sunday, the eighth loss for Smith in his past 10 matches. Wessels says the South Africa tour raises questions about Smith’s leadership and warns Australia is in danger of developing a defeatist attitude with their recent struggles.

“This loss to South Africa brings into question the leadership of Steve Smith,” Wessels wrote in his blog on the Supersport website . “They lost on his watch to Sri Lanka. After that loss, he was given some time off to rest before this tour. In his absence, David Warner led the one-day team to victory in Sri Lanka.”

Steven Smith isn’t having a great time wearing the leadership hat these days. His previous tour of Sri Lanka was quite disastrous. Australia was whitewashed in the Test series. The limited overs were highly impressive with the visitors winning both the 5 match ODI series and two-match T20I series. However, that happened under the captaincy of David Warner who led the team after Smith opted to leave his team midway through the ODI series after two ODIs.

The series was tied 1-1 at the time of his decision to back out. Smith and Cricket Australia were hammered from critics left, right and centre when the decision for the skipper to go home early. It was expected that the ‘refreshed’ Smith will see lead Australia against Sri Lanka with some dominance. However, that couldn’t happen. In fact, the Proteas have completely routed them. These performances have obviously invited backlash.

The series has also been marred by the run-in between Australian wicketkeeper Matthew Wade and South Africa’s Tabraiz Shamsi  during the fourth one-day international at Port Elizabeth on Sunday. Both players were fined and given a demerit point.

Wessels, who played for Australia and the Proteas, says Australia’s performances had made their on-field behaviour “embarrassing”.

“There was a time when Australian teams used sledging cleverly as a strategy,” Wessels wrote. “The mindless babble that this group have resorted to is both embarrassing and totally ineffective.”

Wade and Shamsi had words before Wade appeared to veer towards Shamsi while scampering for a single shortly afterwards. While their critics say it looks ugly and unnecessary for a team that is being well beaten, former Australian Test fast bowler Ryan Harris says Australia are within their rights to sledge on their tour of South Africa.

“What I saw yesterday (Sunday) there was no contact, there was a few words,” Harris said. “That’s cricket. That’s life and that’s how we play our game. It’s obviously how he (Shamsi) plays it. We accept that and we accept what Wadey is going to do.

“If they want to throw stuff at us, obviously they’re in front as well, but we’re not going to stand back just because we’re down. We have a lot of pride in our players, in our team and in our country, so we’re going to fight back.”

Under ICC regulations, if Shamsi and Wade reach four or more demerit points within a 24-month period, their demerit points will be converted into, at least, two suspension points. Two suspension points equal a ban from one Test, two ODIs or two Twenty20 internationals, whatever comes first for the player. The ICC said both players twice ignored umpires’ instructions to stop their aggressive exchange that was deemed contrary to the spirit of the game.

The Proteas have named uncapped Shamsi and another left-arm spinner in Keshav Maharaj in their squad for next month’s three Test tour of Australia. Harris says with matches in Perth, Hobart and Adelaide, Shamsi can’t expect too much assistance from Australian pitches if he does make his debut during the series.

“He’s going to find it tough because Adelaide doesn’t spin much anymore,” he said. “Perth – who knows what they’ll play – they could go with four quicks. The guys weren’t surprised when they saw him in the squad. He’s obviously picked up some wickets in their first-class competition.

“He deserves his spot. He bowled very well yesterday, he’s got every reason to be on that tour I guess. We’ve got to respect him, he’s shown us what he can do.”

The fifth ODI is in Cape Town on Wednesday.