South African skipper Graeme Smith already has a couple of high-profile notches on his captain-killing belt.

The beefy left-handed batsman contributed to the downfall of England captains Nasser Hussain and Michael Vaughan, with both being reduced to tears in their farewell press conferences. On each occasion, Smith was like the schoolyard bully, stealing lunch-money from a spotty Fifth-grader.

Now, with calls for his Australian counterpart's head becoming more and more discernable, 'Biff' has the opportunity to bag himself an even biggest scalp — that of a certain Ricky Ponting.

Countless critics, the majority of them hailing from the world's smallest continent, hold Ponting personally responsible for the team's 2-0 Test series loss in India. With the final Test in the balance and the chance to level the series steadily becoming a reality, Ponting turned to his part-timers in an apparent bid to save himself from a slow over-rate ban.

The common view is that Ponting should have persisted with his strike bowlers in pursuit of victory and simply taken the one-Test ban on the chin. Rather win the Test, save the series and miss a pretty mundane game against New Zealand, right? Ricky didn't agree.

Disparaging remarks from all quarters ensued, as the Australian public takes losing about as well as Joel Santana speaks English. Suddenly, Ponting was just an "ordinary" captain, despite holding all sorts of leadership records. Aussie legends like Allan Border and Ian Chappell turned on the Tasmanian, who immediately went on the defensive.

Perhaps the reason Ponting failed to inspire was because the skipper found himself in relatively uncharted waters, and accepted defeat before the day was done. Not typically Australian, then.

Prior to this series, captain Ponting had experienced defeat in a Test match on only four occasions. In fact, with Ponting in charge, Australia had lost only one Test series. So if he's not an admirable leader, how could he have compiled such an impeccable record over the years?

Since the days of Steve Waugh expertly tugging on the reins of the Aussie juggernaut, the number of truly outstanding players available at any one time has been extraordinary. A generous handful of once-in-a-lifetime stars was sprinkled over every Australian line-up, with the captain afforded the luxury of turning to any one of a number of 'go-to guys' in times of need.

"My grandmother could captain this Aussie team to victory, and she's got arthritis, a weak bladder and just one eye," was the common call of the lesser-spotted (and often drunk) opposition fan. An exaggeration perhaps, yet nobody can deny it contains a kernel of truth.

Having world-beaters like Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath and Adam Gilchrist to call on undeniably made things easier on both Waugh and Ponting. Indeed, even when injuries struck, there always seemed to be someone more than capable waiting in the wings.

But take a glance at the fourth Test scorecard from Nagpur and you will struggle to spot any true legends (apart, perhaps, from Matthew Hayden and Ponting himself). The bowling attack definitely lacks the usual Aussie bite, with Brett Lee not quite living up to the hype of late.

In India, Ponting finally tasted true pressure as a leader, with the men among him in the trenches mere mortals. How he deals with the squeeze against South Africa, and an opposite number as hungry as ever, could well determine his future at the helm.

Granted, South Africa has its own fair share of shortcomings to contend with, but this tour surely represents the Proteas' best chance to win a post-isolation Test series Down Under.

The odds of Smith shaking the hand of a new Australian captain at the start of the return tour at the Wanderers in February 2009 are no longer that slim.

So, will 'Punter' still be in charge should his troops be defeated by South Africa?

Don't bet on it.

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