Smith poised to equal Cronje’s record

DHAKA – Graeme Smith will equal the South African captaincy record held by the late Hansie Cronje when he leads his team in the first test against Bangladesh starting today.

It will be Smith’s 53rd test at the helm and the opening batsman said it would be a great accomp-lishment if he went on to surpass Cronje. “I have never dreamt of becoming South Africa’s leading test captain,” Smith told a news conference yesterday.”It would be a great honour and wonderful achievement.I would be proud.”Smith was 22 when he took over from Shaun Pollock and became South Africa’s youngest captain, leading his team against Bangladesh in Chittagong in March 2003.”It was an intriguing opportunity to get the captaincy at such a young age,” he said.”Initially it was just about proving I was good enough.”This was about my performance.It was about showing everyone I was strong enough to handle the job.”Smith has won 24 tests as captain, three short of Cronje’s total.The left-handed opener also led the ICC’s World XI in a one-off test against Australia in Sydney in October 2005.Smith has played in 61 tests, scoring 4 843 runs at an average of 47,02.Today’s game is the first in a two-match series.- Nampa-Reuters —- ‘Gazza’ held under Mental Health Act LONDON – Former England midfielder Paul Gascoigne is being held under the Mental Health Act, a police source said yesterday.The former Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United player, widely known as Gazza, was arrested at the Hilton Hotel in Gateshead, on Wednesday evening.Nobody was injured and there was no violence and no damage to the hotel.”A 40-year-old man has been detained,” a spokesman for Northumbria Police said.”We had received a report of concern for a 40-year-old man staying at the hotel.The man was detained under the Mental Health Act.”Gascoigne’s last direct involvement in football was as manager of minor League club Kettering Town, a job he left in 2005.He was capped 57 times by England between 1988 and 1998 scoring 10 goals, and made international headlines during the 1990 World Cup finals in Italy.Famously bursting into tears after receiving a yellow card in England’s semi-final against West Germany, which would have seen him suspended for the final if England had qualified, he became a household name and “Gazzamania” was born.- Nampa-Reuters”I have never dreamt of becoming South Africa’s leading test captain,” Smith told a news conference yesterday.”It would be a great honour and wonderful achievement.I would be proud.”Smith was 22 when he took over from Shaun Pollock and became South Africa’s youngest captain, leading his team against Bangladesh in Chittagong in March 2003.”It was an intriguing opportunity to get the captaincy at such a young age,” he said.”Initially it was just about proving I was good enough.”This was about my performance.It was about showing everyone I was strong enough to handle the job.”Smith has won 24 tests as captain, three short of Cronje’s total.The left-handed opener also led the ICC’s World XI in a one-off test against Australia in Sydney in October 2005.Smith has played in 61 tests, scoring 4 843 runs at an average of 47,02.Today’s game is the first in a two-match series.- Nampa-Reuters —- ‘Gazza’ held under Mental Health Act LONDON – Former England midfielder Paul Gascoigne is being held under the Mental Health Act, a police source said yesterday.The former Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United player, widely known as Gazza, was arrested at the Hilton Hotel in Gateshead, on Wednesday evening.Nobody was injured and there was no violence and no damage to the hotel.”A 40-year-old man has been detained,” a spokesman for Northumbria Police said.”We had received a report of concern for a 40-year-old man staying at the hotel.The man was detained under the Mental Health Act.”Gascoigne’s last direct involvement in football was as manager of minor League club Kettering Town, a job he left in 2005.He was capped 57 times by England between 1988 and 1998 scoring 10 goals, and made international headlines during the 1990 World Cup finals in Italy.Famously bursting into tears after receiving a yellow card in England’s semi-final against West Germany, which would have seen him suspended for the final if England had qualified, he became a household name and “Gazzamania” was born.- Nampa-Reuters