WHEN Brian Lara took up the captaincy for his second term last March, he said he wanted young players with the right attitude and commitment under him.
He is convinced he has found one in Dwayne Smith, the 20-year-old Barbadian who announced his arrival in Test cricket with a dazzling, unbeaten 105 on the final day Tuesday that earned the West Indies a draw in the third Test against South Africa.
"Even before his hundred and even with his stats (first-class average 22) before this, what I saw in practice and in the practice matches on this trip was someone who wanted to stay, no matter the stats," Lara said.
"It's great to see a guy who gets the opportunity, grasps it with both hands and makes full use of it," he added.
Lara noted that, throughout his career, he had seen several young players come into the West Indies team "not really dedicating themselves to the game."
He did not call any names. He didn't need to.
"I think young Smith is tremendous," he said. "You can see he's a very positive individual and that is what he brought to Cape Town and to this team."
"His work ethic is great and that is what you need, you need to prepare yourself for international cricket and that is what he is doing," he added.
Lara pointed out that Fidel Edwards, the 21-year-old fast bowler picked for his Test debut last June on the evidence of a solitary first-class match, had similarly prepared.
"He might be going through a bit of a rough period at this time but this is Test cricket and he's going to learn," he said.
Smith's innings was all the more remarkable as he was batting with a splint covering a dislocated joint in his right little finger, sustained in the field on the first day.
"I felt a bit of pain but pain doesn't worry me when I'm out there playing for the West Indies," he said.
Smith first made his mark as a 19-year-old with his 102 for Barbados against the Leeward Islands in Anguilla in the 2002 Busta Cup.
An unbeaten 92, with nine sixes, against Guyana in Antigua in the Red Stripe Bowl was enough to clinch his place as middle-order replacement in South Africa for the injured Marlon Samuels.
His modest record made his selection a surprise to most but Smith said he had heard "for a long time" that he would probably be coming.
"So I prepared a lot, worked hard on my game as usual, concentrated hard on batting in partnerships and it worked," he said.
His cricketing philosophy is simple.
"Stick to what I have to do, work hard and try my best," he explained.
He added: "I said to myself (when he started his second innings), be positive, don't let anything worry you. If you bat to the end, you'll be close to a hundred or past a hundred."
He dedicated his hundred to "my mum and family" and credited Barbados coaches Roddy Estwick and Darnley Boxhill, at under-19 level, Hendy Springer, at senior level, and Barbados and West Indies teammate Corey Collymore with aiding his development.
After his flambouyant batting on debut, expectations will be inevitably high. But Smith said he won't get carried away.
"That hundred has gone," he said. "You start at 0 on the next innings so it's starting over and working towards another hundred or, at least, a good innings."
He will do well to heed Lara's words of advice.
"Dwayne must see this as only a great beginning," the captain said. "Relentless hard work must become one of the ingredients in ensuring that he builds on this wonderful start.