Smith feels for Vaughan

Graeme Smith empathised with Michael Vaughan after celebrating South Africa's first Test series win on English soil for 43 years.

Kevin Pietersen, who succeeds Michael Vaughan as England captain

COLOMBO // Graeme Smith has empathised with Michael Vaughan after celebrating South Africa's first Test series win on English soil for 43 years. Smith, 27, is one of the few men in history to have captained in more Tests than Vaughan, who quit the England job on Sunday after 51 games in charge. The pair first locked horns in the 2003 campaign between the sides and have learned the ups and downs of the job ever since. "The captain feels a little less pressure if he is performing well," said Smith. "There have been times when I have struggled and felt the pressure as a leader.

"To ask a lot of your players all the time when you're not performing well is a big thing. That has been the struggle over the years. There have been times when I have had to dig deep, I have had my tough moments but this year has been a great year so far, and it does help if you're scoring runs. It takes pressure off you." * PA Sport