Graeme Smith's Proteas have endured 'a season from hell', on and off the field, and fans believe this testing, building and strengthening process  has their team on top.

Few teams within the international fold have to deal with the complexity which is fundamentally South African cricket and Graeme Smith many feel, should he retire, he has the experience to replace Ban Ki-moon as Secretary General of the United Nations, such is his exposure to conflict management.

Smith has endured an inordinate amount of meddling in the make-up of his team and Proteas fans at times are gobstruck that he has prevailed and not thrown up his arms in dismayed resignation. This is testimony to the character of the 27-yearold, who is frequently torpedoed by one-eyed critics. His fans admiringly view him as Atlas, the Greek Titan, with their cricketing world on his shoulders, who is only free to shrug when disparaged.

'A blend of old and new is exactly what is needed to flatten an Australian side which is arguably the weakest seen in a decade'


Now, with two series remaining this season, Proteas fans hope that Smith can 'coast' through unfettered and unchallenged from within his own ranks to take honours from the English and Australians fair and square on only the field.

Herchelle Gibbs, Andre Nel and Paul Harris are a critical component of this challenge and wouldn't it be great to have the luxury to freely select the team able to take the Proteas to No. 1 on the ICC log ?

The team most likely to unseat the Aussies must be picked here and now. A blend of old and new is exactly what is needed to flatten an Australian side which is arguably the weakest seen in a decade.

With Glenn McGrath, Shane Warne and Adam Gilchrist gone, the correct Proteas squad can do the job and the youngsters who where blooded against these Aussie legends are the ones who should be given a crack at it.

Smith, Mark Boucher, Gibbs and Jacques Kallis top the experience tables and should form the foundation of the squad to bring home the podium position in Test cricket.

To this balance add Makhaya Ntini with Andre Nel and surround them with Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel, Paul Harris and Johan Botha. This is a creative mix of spin and pace, with unmatched variety if you bear Kallis in mind.

AB de Villiers, Ashwell Prince, Neil McKenzie and Albie Morkel could be rotated through the middle order as need be, a difficult job for the selectors.

Where JP Duminy and players like Charl Langeveldt fit in, in Tests, I don't really know, although a Langeveldt-Nel combination does ooze pain and grudge.

My test squad to dethrone the Australians must be: Graeme Smith(c), Herschelle Gibbs, Jacques Kallis, AB De Villiers, Albie Morkel, Mark Boucher, Paul Harris, Dale Steyn, Andre Nel, Morne Morkel, Makhaya Ntini.

A four-pronged pace attack, Steyn-Ntini-Nel-Morkel, with swing from Kallis and Albie Morkel. Paul Harris is the spin doctor of the squad. The four premium batsmen have depth to No. 7 or even 9. Who'll forget Andre Nel's knock against the West Indies?

In an unrestricted dash for the line, I think Smith can turn this 'season from hell' into a South African 'dream season' and have the Proteas sitting at No. 1 on the ODI and Test log by early 2009.