Graeme Smith made his Test debut for South Africa against Australia in Cape Town in 2002. Batting at number three, the left-hander scored his first half-century in the second innings of the match. Soon he established himself as a prolific run scorer and as an occasional handy off spin bowler.His ability to dominate the opposition bowlers is well-known. During the tour of England in 2003, Smith scored double centuries consecutively, 277 runs at Edgbaston and 259 at Lord’s. In an ODI against Pakistan, Smith hit 6 fours off an over. The tall southpaw has earned the admiration from all quarters for setting up colossal partnerships with his teammates especially with Herschelle Gibbs. At the youthful age of 22, Smith replaced Shaun Pollock as the captain of South Africa following the unsuccessful World Cup campaign in 2003. Until then, he had very few Tests and ODIs to his credit. His initial stint of captaincy was not exactly superior. In 2004, the South African side lost to India and Sri Lanka in Test series. In an unforgettable match, Smith captained his side to win against Australia in an ODI in 2006 where the Proteas chased down a mammoth target of 434 with a ball to spare. Smith scored 90 off 55 balls in this match. At his first World Cup in 2007, Smith led his team to the semifinals. Though they were defeated by the Cup favourites Australia in the crucial tie, Smith had scored consistently throughout the tournament amassing 443 runs. With time, Smith has honed and proved his leadership skills. His accolades include being named Wisden Cricketer of the Year 2004.