<p>It was not the result he wanted but Graeme Smith’s final day as South African Test captain ended with his side showing grit and dogged resilience, mirroring his 12-year international career.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Australia triumphed by 245 runs at Newlands with a little more than four overs remaining to win the series 2-1 as Smith signed-off on a low note. <br /><br />His decision to retire shocked a nation but Smith admitted he had been toying with the idea since former coach Gary Kirsten announced last May he would be leaving the team.<br /><br />“When Gary left, that was when the process started for me,” Smith, the most successful captain in Test history with a record 53 wins, told reporters.<br /><br />“The thought entered my mind then and it has taken me a period of time to try and understand and process that. I still feel I could perform over the next period of time but I have peace that this is the right time to go.<br /><br />“When I told the team a couple of nights ago it was a really tough night, I didn't manage to get too many words out. The hardest part has been saying goodbye to the team, for so long the Proteas environment has been my family.<br /><br />“It took a while to have the courage to make the decision. At 33 people say you have a lot of years left but it has felt like the time is right for me.<br /><br />“I realised that this (Newlands) is the place where I wanted to finish my career. I didn't want to hang on and finish at a place where it didn't feel right.”<br /><br />Smith was first selected for South Africa aged 21 and within a year was made captain of the team, a job he held for 11 years.<br /><br />He built his career by scoring runs “ugly”, but with over 17,000 amassed in all formats of international cricket, he proved the early doubters wrong.<br /><br />“When I started my professional career all I use to hear was about my bad stance and my grip and how I needed to change things, so to be sitting here 17,000 runs later is hopefully an example to other people that if you are less talented, there is a lot you can still achieve in life,” he added.<br /><br />His career highlights have come in England and Australia, two of the traditionally toughest places for South Africa to get results. <br /><br />“There have been so many wonderful victories around the world, winning in England and Australia would be the highlights our record away from home has been something I am really proud of,” he said.<br /><br />And the regrets?<br /><br />“To have won a World Cup, that would have been ticking all the boxes,” he said.</p>
<p>It was not the result he wanted but Graeme Smith’s final day as South African Test captain ended with his side showing grit and dogged resilience, mirroring his 12-year international career.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Australia triumphed by 245 runs at Newlands with a little more than four overs remaining to win the series 2-1 as Smith signed-off on a low note. <br /><br />His decision to retire shocked a nation but Smith admitted he had been toying with the idea since former coach Gary Kirsten announced last May he would be leaving the team.<br /><br />“When Gary left, that was when the process started for me,” Smith, the most successful captain in Test history with a record 53 wins, told reporters.<br /><br />“The thought entered my mind then and it has taken me a period of time to try and understand and process that. I still feel I could perform over the next period of time but I have peace that this is the right time to go.<br /><br />“When I told the team a couple of nights ago it was a really tough night, I didn't manage to get too many words out. The hardest part has been saying goodbye to the team, for so long the Proteas environment has been my family.<br /><br />“It took a while to have the courage to make the decision. At 33 people say you have a lot of years left but it has felt like the time is right for me.<br /><br />“I realised that this (Newlands) is the place where I wanted to finish my career. I didn't want to hang on and finish at a place where it didn't feel right.”<br /><br />Smith was first selected for South Africa aged 21 and within a year was made captain of the team, a job he held for 11 years.<br /><br />He built his career by scoring runs “ugly”, but with over 17,000 amassed in all formats of international cricket, he proved the early doubters wrong.<br /><br />“When I started my professional career all I use to hear was about my bad stance and my grip and how I needed to change things, so to be sitting here 17,000 runs later is hopefully an example to other people that if you are less talented, there is a lot you can still achieve in life,” he added.<br /><br />His career highlights have come in England and Australia, two of the traditionally toughest places for South Africa to get results. <br /><br />“There have been so many wonderful victories around the world, winning in England and Australia would be the highlights our record away from home has been something I am really proud of,” he said.<br /><br />And the regrets?<br /><br />“To have won a World Cup, that would have been ticking all the boxes,” he said.</p>