Graeme Smith had some of the most epic battles of his career against Australia‚ and even though he is out of the trenches he is still in the fight. Smith came out swinging again on Wednesday - almost three years after he unexpectedly quit during the third test against Michael Clarke’s men at Newlands - at a function hosted by the Bradman Foundation at the Sydney Cricket Ground to honour the former South African captain as well as Bill Lawry‚ who led Australia from 1968 to 1971.Australians have in the past thrown phrases like “lack of self-belief or fighting in that set-up”‚ “something that’s not right” and “in turmoil” at South African cricket.On Wednesday‚ as he rubbed shoulders with former Australian prime minister John Howard‚ the patron of the Foundation‚ and a host of luminaries who had paid up to R77600 per table of 10 to be there‚ Smith threw those barbed words right back.“I was quite surprised at some of the selections (in the Australian squad) that came to South Africa for the one-day series (last month)‚ and that hurt them badly - they lost 5-0‚” Smith said. That series followed Australia’s tour to Sri Lanka‚ where they lost the test series 3-0 before bouncing back to win the one-day and T20 rubbers.Australia were back in the dwang at the WACA on Monday‚ when South Africa beat them by 177 runs in the first test.“The way they collapsed and fell away in that Perth test to me showed that maybe there is a lack of confidence or self-belief or fighting in that set-up at the moment‚” Smith said.“It does show me that there is something that’s not right there.“For me (in the Australian team)‚ there was obviously the skill factor‚ but it was always built on a hardness‚ a really strong respect and culture for that Australian environment.”Smith asked whether part of the problem was rooted in the large number of players who represent Australia across the formats‚ not least because of the strict policing of workloads‚ particularly those of fast bowlers. “I wonder whether it’s this whole rotation policy‚ whether some of that culture‚ that respect within the environment‚ has been lost with so many different players coming through the system‚” Smith said.He was also surprised by Cricket Australia’s agreement to play the first test against India in Pune in February just 16 hours after the third T20 against Sri Lanka in Adelaide.“It’s very un-Australian for me‚” Smith said.“Playing for Australia was something that was always preached to show how proud (their) people were.“It just seems like that is in turmoil a little bit at the moment.” - TMG Digital..