Smith launches Twitter tirade at Kepler Wessels

Graeme Smith has launched a scathing attack on former South Africa captain and selector Kepler Wessels on Twitter and hit back at the criticism his side have received after being dumped out of the World Twenty20 in the Super Eights stage.

"Find it amazing that kepler can sit and say should have picked a younger squad when he was 1 of the selectors who chose it!unbelievable!" Smith wrote on Twitter and followed it up with "Atleast we own up to playing poorly.but all these so called experts/ex players im not sure I see a winners medal hanging round there necks!"

South Africa lost heavily to England and Pakistan to finish bottom of the table in their Super Eights group and have won just a single global event - the ICC Knockout in Dhaka 12 years ago - since their reintroduction to world cricket in 1992.

Their recent failure prompted a clutch of former players to voice their concerns, with Graeme Pollock saying "The two run-chases, against England and Pakistan, were two of the most amateurish I've ever seen," and former selector Hugh Page saying: "In every other side, there's a young player - sometimes two - who will go after the bowling early in the innings, I'd like to more young players to be given an opportunity."

Though nobody has as yet called for his head, Smith has been in charge for seven years and is under pressure to turn things around soon. South Africa play West Indies in three Tests, four ODIs and two Twenty20s beginning May 19.