Smith is banned from leadership roles until March because of his involvement in a Cape Town ball-tampering scandal last year but he is tipped by some former players and leading cricket writers to regain the captaincy from wicketkeeper Paine after his batting heroics in England.
New Zealand have left Doug Bracewell out of their 15-man squad for a One-day international series in South Africa to manage the seamer's workload, the country's cricket board said on Friday.
South African opening batsman Herschelle Gibbs as arrested in the early hours of Thursday morning for drink-driving in Cape Town, reports said on Friday. Gibbs recently signed up to play for Hyderabad in the inaugural Indian Premier League, the multi-million dollar Twenty20 event which begins on April 18, in a deal worth $575,000 dollars.
Cricket Australia has appointed an ethics guru to review the sport's culture in the wake of the cheating scandal that has rocked "the gentleman's game".
Spin legend Shane Warne has thanked star batter Virat Kohli for "passionately supporting" Test cricket, a day after he stepped down as skipper of the Indian Test team.
Dale Steyn has been close to the milestone for more than a year now but, at the age of 34, time is running out for the speed merchant to become South Africa's most prolific wicket taker.
The Indian Premier League will be a boon, not bane, for India's World Cup-bound players, VVS Laxman believes amid a raging debate around players' workload management programme.
England off-spinner Graeme Swann's sparkling form in South Africa contrasts with his tour there 10 years ago when he spent a lot of time drinking and was a million miles from the Test side, he was quoted as saying on Sunday.
South Africa-born former England all-rounder Basil D'Oliveira, once the subject of one of cricket's biggest controversies, has died at 80, Cricket South Africa said on Saturday.
Peter Roebuck, one of the most respected cricket commentators, who also wrote for Indian newspapers, committed suicide at his hotel in Cape Town where he was covering Australia's Test series against South Africa.
IMAGES from Day 4 of the 2nd Test played at Newlands in Cape Town on Monday
Kirsten said it is not improbable if India can figure a way to make things right in the knockout games.
India's skipper missed out on what would have been his 99th Test on the morning of the second match of the series against South Africa in Johannesburg, adding to an intriguing drama that is unfolding around him on an almost daily basis now.
The Barmy Army are bringing much more than just their thirst and their songs to the Test cricket arena in South Africa over the next month - an expected 10,000 visitors also provide a marked income boost for the sport, says South African cricket supremo Haroon Lorgat.
As India go in to the four-match Test series against Australia that commences in Adelaide on Tuesday, here is a factbox.
The Indian players were visibly irked after a controversial Decision Review System (DRS) call, which went in favour of South Africa skipper Dean Elgar as he survived a close leg before shout against Ravichandran Ashwin.
David Warner's brilliant 173 was not enough to save Australia from a 32-run defeat by South Africa in the fifth and final One-Day International at Newlands in Cape Town on Wednesday.
Both Smith and Warner were also banned from playing the Indian Premier League this year.
South Africa beat Australia for the third game in a row when they won the second Twenty20 international by 17 runs on Sunday. Chasing 157 for victory on Sunday, Australia were derailed by off-spinner Johan Botha, who claimed two for 16 in four overs as the visitors crashed to 103 for five after 15 overs having been 63 for two at the halfway mark.
Spectators stood up and waved sandpapers at Warner as he walked off the field
Images from Day 3 of the first Test between South Africa and Australia at Newlands, Cape Town.
Harbhajan Singh claimed two early wickets as South Africa reached 121 for five in their second innings at lunch on the fourth day of the series-deciding third Test against India in Cape Town.
India's Gautam Gambhir and Sachin Tendulkar might have restored the balance in the match with their spirited batting but injured South Africa all-rounder Jacques Kallis feels the momentum is still in the home team's favour in the ongoing third and final Test in Cape Town.
Gautam Gambhir and Sachin Tendulkar led India's strong reply with the bat after Jacques Kallis's 39th Test century had lifted South Africa to 362 on day two of the third and final Test at Newlands in Cape Town, on Monday.
David Warner joined former captain Steve Smith and batsman Cameron Bancroft in deciding not to contest the sanctions imposed on him by his cricket board for his role in last month's ball-tampering scandal in South Africa.
The Indian-origin batsman was included in South Africa's squad for the second Test against New Zealand.
The countries will pin their hopes of victory on their quicks with seamer friendly wickets on order for the Tests in Durban, Port Elizabeth, Cape Town and Johannesburg, and the contests set to be dominated by fiery exchanges of fast bowling.
South Africa's team psychologist is helping concentrate the players' minds on the first Test against Australia
India were 254 for 3 at stumps on Day 1 in the third Test against South Africa.
Can India avoid the humiliation of a series whitewash, asks Harish Kotian.
'The confidence and the momentum of that definitely helps. It just makes you raise your own bar of performance, you want to be a better player. My challenge to myself was to be a good player and now it's to become a great player. So it's just about lifting the bar and making a mind shift'
'If there were ever a PR exercise to fix the seemingly irreparable image of Australian cricket in the aftermath of the most notorious on-field scandal in recent memory, then this is it,' observes Dhruv Munjal.
President Cyril Ramaphosa announced last Sunday that there would be no change to the current lowest Level One of the country's five-level lockdown strategy.
Rajneesh Gupta glances at the history of this fascinating 21st century cricketing rivalry.
India have enjoyed recent success in Australia and England, but South Africa remains a mighty challenge for the top ranked Test side
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