London, July 19 (ANI): England skipper Andrew Strauss has asked his teammates to prove their No.1 status, adding that 'captain slayer' Graeme Smith will not get his hat-trick of scalps this summer.
Smith saw off predecessors Nasser Hussain and Michael Vaughan in 2003 and 2008, and on the eve of his 100th Test, has Strauss in his crosshairs.
Strauss is confident his team will defend their position in the battle for No.1, The Daily Mirror reports.
"I'm confident he won't get a hat-trick of England captains this year. I don't think he sees himself as a captain slayer, and like me I'm sure he is focused on his side playing some good cricket," said Strauss.
"South Africa is a very fine side and they'll be determined to knock us off our perch and there will be an extra bit of spice because it's the two best teams in the world. I'm certainly very excited about it and it will be a good gauge for us. The rankings say we are No.1 and we have to go out and prove that now," he said. (ANI)
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