JOHANNESBURG: Star batsmen AB de Villiers and Hashim Amla are the leading candidates to succeed Graeme Smith as South Africa’s Test captain.
Cricket South Africa’s board meets in Johannesburg on Tuesday to make what is seen as a crucial decision after a decade of Smith at the helm.
Smith captained South Africa in a world-record 109 Tests before announcing his retirement during the third and final Test against Australia last March.
The national selectors will table their recommendation for the captaincy, but the final decision will be made by the board.
The first assignment of the new captain will be to lead the team in two Tests in Sri Lanka during July.
De Villiers, 30, was vice-captain under Smith and is the ODI skipper. He has led the side in 40 ODI games. He had no prior captaincy experience.
Amla, 31, captained the South African team at the Under-19 World Cup in New Zealand in 2002 and was appointed captain of the Dolphins franchise early in his first-class career.
Amla was appointed De Villiers’ vice-captain of the South African ODI team in 2011 and led the side in three matches, but gave up the job last year. (PTI)
