During recent weeks there was lamenting about Graeme Smith and how he happens to be seriously missed in the present WC. Subseequently Ceradunce came up with seriously defective data on Smith's ODI performances in the 2011 WC and in all matches Smith played in since then.
Smith played in the following matches and the following info is provided in respect of each match:-
* Runs scored
* Balls faced
In respect of each tournament - series the foillowing is provided:-
* Highest score
* Total Runs scored
* Total balls faced
* Run Rate
As a summary it is clear that Smith played in 25 ODI's - 6 in the 2011 WC and 19 against individual countries.
2011 World Cup
15 Februrary 2011 - West Indies - 45 runs - 116 balls faced
3 March 2011 - Netherlands - 20 runs - 57 balls faced
12 March 2011 - India - 16 runs - 39 balls faced
15 March 2011 - Ireland - 7 runs - 43 balls faced
19 March 2011 - Bangla Desh - 45 runs - 86 balls faced
26 March 2011 - New Zealand - 28 runs - 59 balls faced
Highest score in tournament indicated in bold
Total Runs scored - 161
Balls faced - 400
Run rate - 40,25
Average runs per game - 26
Other ODI Series
Australia in SA
19 October 2011 - 4 runs - 3 balls faced
23 October 2011 - 57 runs - 117 balls faced
28 October 2011 - 19 runs - 60 balls faced
Total Runs scored - 80
Balls faced - 180
Run rate - 44,4
Average runs per game - 27
SriLanka in SA
11 January 2012 - 6 runs - 12 balls faced
14 January 2012 - 28 runs - 76 balls faced
17 January 2012 - 2 runs - 21 balls faced
20 January 2012 - 68 runs - 108 balls faced
23 January 2012 - 125 runs - 205 balls faced
Total Runs scored - 239
Balls faced - 402
Run rate - 59,5
Average runs per game - 48
South Africa in New Zealand
25 August 2012 - 9 runs - 21 balls faced
Smith only played in 1 game this series
Total Runs scored - 9
Balls faced - 21
Run rate - 42,9
Average runs per game - 9
South Africa in England
28 August 2012 - 52 runs - 82 balls faced
31 August 2012 - 18 runs - 37 balls faced
2 September 2012 - 29 runs - 86 balls faced
5 September 2012 - 1 runs - 8 balls faced
Total Runs scored - 100
Balls faced - 213
Run rate - 46,9
Average runs per game - 25
New Zealand in South Africa
19 June 2013 - 7 runs - 31 balls faced
22 June 2013 - 68 runs - 127 balls faced
25 June 2013 - 116 runs - 190 balls faced
Total Runs scored - 190
Balls faced - 348
Run rate - 54,6
Average runs per game - 63
South Africa in Gulf States - Pakistan
30 October 2013 - 20 runs - 66 balls faced
1 November 2013 - 14 runs - 56 balls faced
Total Runs scored - 34
Balls faced - 122
Run rate - 27,8
Average runs per game - 17
Pakistan in South Africa
24 November 2013 - 12 runs - 22 balls faced
27 November 2013 - 1 run - 20 balls faced
Total Runs scored - 13
Balls faced - 42
Run rate - 31
Average runs per game - 6,5
SUMMARY
So how did Smith do in ODI's during the period in question:-
Total Matches Played = 25
Total Runs scored = 826
Total balls faced = 1728
Run rate = 47,8
Average runs per game played = 33,04
Notable scores
2 centuries 4 half centuriesThe above indicates that Smith's run rate for an opener was way below par - scoring on average at less than 3 runs per over and on average making only 33,04 runs per innings batted is NOT GOOD ENOUGH FOR AN INTERNATIONAL OPENING BATSMAN in ODI's.
His run rate in most innings was so slow that even in one case where he did score a century - he occupied the crease for so long - the Proteas lost the match.
It is with the above in mind that it was clear that Smith was not the opening batsman SA needs and his retention for this WC would have been an unmitigated disaster.