Cricket and the Rainbow Nation: Textgate and how Graeme Smith took South Africa to the top
Monday 4 May 2020 06:12, UK
We are giving you the chance to rewatch our 2017 series on the dramatic history of South African cricket.
Cricket and the Rainbow Nation charted the Proteas' highs, including how they ascended to the top of the Test rankings under Graeme Smith.
But the low points are also examined, notably South Africa's international sporting exile for over 20 years during the apartheid era.
Every Sunday we are bringing you an episode on the Sky Sports website and app and we continue with a look at how Smith revived the Proteas' fortunes, Kevin Pietersen's Textgate scandal when South Africa visited England in 2012, and the injury-enforced retirement of wicketkeeper Mark Boucher.
EPISODE 3 - Rise to the Top
In 2003, in the wake of South Africa's soggy exit from that year's World Cup, the country's cricket selectors appeared to have taken a huge gamble by appointing 22-year-old Smith as captain.
However, 12 years and 108 Test matches later, Smith would retire as arguably cricket's greatest leader having taken his country to the top of the world Test rankings twice.
Rise to the Top looks at what what made Smith such a successful captain, his relationship with head coaches Mickey Arthur and Gary Kirsten, and the skipper's unorthodox batting technique.
We also examine the inside story of South Africa's tour of England in 2012 which saw them move top of the rankings as the hosts fell apart in the wake of the Textgate scandal - something Sir Andrew Strauss says proved "manna from heaven" for the Proteas as they won the series 2-0.
