User:TripleRoryFan/sandbox/Steve Smith with the Australian cricket team in South Africa in 2017–18

Steve Smith was the captain of the Australian cricket team on their tour of South Africa in early 2018.

Background
In Australia's last Test series in South Africa, Smith entered very strong form which continued right through to the start of this tour. In an innings at Centurion Smith scored a century in tough conditions against a world-class South African bowling attack, boosting his confidence. In the year leading up to the tour Smith had scored 1305 runs at an average of 81.56 in 11 Tests. This included captaining Australia in the 2017–18 Ashes series, which Australia won 4-0, and an ODI series against England, which they lost 4-1. During the Ashes series alone he scored 687 runs at an average of 137.4, including scoring 239 at the WACA Ground. As a result of his strong form, he won the 2018 Allan Border Medal as the most outstanding Australian cricketer over the previous twelve months.

On top of being Australia's best player and captain over the previous twelve months, Smith had to deal with a packed international schedule and a pay dispute with Cricket Australia, and by the ODI series loss to England he admitted he was mentally exhausted, saying he was so tired he didn't want to even pick up a cricket bat, but he did get a two-week rest in the lead-up to the tour while Australia's Twenty20 side played in the 2017–18 Trans-Tasman Tri-Series against England and New Zealand. When the squad arrived in South Africa, Smith told the other players that complacency after their Ashes victory wasn't acceptable, and they needed to perform well away from home to build on their success.