Should Graeme Smith still be opening the batting?

[Uppercut]

Hoggard was all over him like a rash in 04/05 to be fair. To such an extent that he actually took ff_vii_ac's advice and went and hid in the middle order.

Because he's so very bottom handed he often turns the bat in shots and ends up not playing quite straight, so he'll always struggle against anyone who swings it back into him with any regularity.

Smith sorted that out a long long time ago, to be fair. In '08 Jimmeh just stuck to outswingers after the first test because he kept going through midwicket trying to get an lbw. Although maybe it's back, I haven't really seen that much of him in tests lately. He was always out before I got out of bed.

His knocks in the recent ODI series just suggest to me that he's horribly out of nick. Facing Zaheer obviously isn't helping but he was all over the place facing everyone else too.

 

[Woodster]

Smith sorted that out a long long time ago, to be fair. In '08 Jimmeh just stuck to outswingers after the first test because he kept going through midwicket trying to get an lbw. Although maybe it's back, I haven't really seen that much of him in tests lately. He was always out before I got out of bed.

His knocks in the recent ODI series just suggest to me that he's horribly out of nick. Facing Zaheer obviously isn't helping but he was all over the place facing everyone else too.

When a batsman is out of form, it doesn't take much for those bad habits come back as a player reverts to type. With his technique it must be a constant battle with his bottom hand, similar to Paul Collingwood. When these men are in form the problem is not so obvious, but when out of touch, the bottom hand dominance is clear to see and causes a heap of problems.

 

[Uppercut]

I agree with a lot of what you say in principle but in the case of Smith that isn't what's happening. In his last 14 tests, dating back to the beginning of last year's home series against England, he's got out lbw to a seamer exactly once. It's the ball moving away from him that causes problems now- Zaheer, being an insane bowler, can do both with tremendous accuracy and hence has Smith in the back pocket.

 

[Jarquis]

Jimmeh can do both too tbf

 

[Uppercut]

Yeah, he's coped pretty well with Jimmeh. Zaheer being left-handed is probably the difference. He seems to find Zaheer's outswingers much harder to let go.

 

[TT Boy]

A makeshift opener obviously - bat 2 players out of position instead of none, makes perfect sense to me.

van Wyk is pretty much a "natural" limited overs opener but you wouldn't just be putting Smith out of place if he drops to 3, why would you have Kallis at 4 given his record at 3? Or have AB de Villiers at 5 considering he averages something ridiculous for the past 2 years batting at 4. Just seems like a pretty stupid exercise which makes no sense.

 

[TumTum]

Jimmeh can do both too tbf

He can but only if the conditions suit him. Zaheer atm can do it in almost any condition with the new ball, and you don't need to do much to get the wicket.

But I also feel Smith over exaggerates the movement Zaheer gets, because other left-handers that have played him recently don't make it out as if he is unplayable, which is what Smith does.

 

[Contra]

I think it's more just Zaheer than swing in the air that troubles him. Zaheer can land the ball on the same spot and make it go both in and out off the seam, so sometimes you can almost see it coming as a viewer. He's got the likes of Cook / Hayden / Sangakara / Strauss / Mcntosh like that as well. He just loves bowling the left handers. Also once you get out to a certain bowler a few times it starts playing on your mind. So dunno how much if it is to do with the mind.

 

[centurymaker]

I think it's more just Zaheer than swing in the air that troubles him. Zaheer can land the ball on the same spot and make it go both in and out off the seam, so sometimes you can almost see it coming as a viewer. He's got the likes of Cook / Hayden / Sangakara / Strauss / Mcntosh like that as well. He just loves bowling the left handers. Also once you get out to a certain bowler a few times it starts playing on your mind. So dunno how much if it is to do with the mind.

True. Half of the battle is fought in the mind...

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

Nnanden.

 

[weldone]

Yes, especially if Zaheer Khan is the opponent opening bowler.

 

[popepouri]

Facing steyn in the nets should help?? (bowls inswingers to lefties)

He can't bowl well to left handers.

 

[tooextracool]

Difference being Zaheer swings it both ways, while Steyn only really bowls inswingers to the left hander, not to mention the obvious point that Steyn is right handed and generally bowls from the other side of the stumps which lends a completely different trajectory. From what I've seen, Smith doesnt seem to have a clue which way the ball is going to move and Zaheer seems to do an excellent job setting him up for the ball that comes into him. Don't think playing Steyn in the nets is going to help him.