Having led Australia to the Ashes title to start the year, Steve Smith won the Allan Border medal as the best Australian cricketer in the bygone year.
Having a great time as Australia captain, Smith has urged his team to gear up for their next big challenge away from home. The travel to South Africa to play a four-match Test series.While proud of the 4-0 series win against England, Smith has challenged his side to back it up away from home soil.
"We know that one good summer doesn't make a good cricket side, we have to keep backing it up, it's going to be a good challenge for the group," Smith said.
Speaking of the last year performance as per a team's perspective Smith said "It was a terrific Test summer, the way the guys stood up in pressure moments was probably the difference in the end.We're going to be faced with some high-pressure moments in South Africa and it's about winning those moments."
Smith backed the Australian pace trio and in form spinner Nathan Lyon to adapt quickly to South African conditions.
"We saw over the summer the three quicks and Nathan do a tremendous job, all of them contributing and taking (over) 20 wickets each in the Ashes series," he said.
"It's going to be important for us to keep them going and keep working well as a unit.I think they've got a terrific bowling attack as well, so it's going to be nice to see both of them go head-to-head."
The Australian squad departs for South Africa on Thursday and will play a three-day tour match before the first Test in Durban starts on March 1.
Australian squad for South Africa tour
Steve Smith (c), David Warner (vc), Cameron Bancroft, Pat Cummins, Peter Handscomb, Josh Hazlewood, Jon Holland, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Shaun Marsh, Tim Paine, Jhye Richardson, Chadd Sayers, Mitchell Starc
Tour schedule
Warm-up match v SA Invitational XI, Sahara Park, Benoni, Feb 22-24
First Test Kingsmead, Durban, March 1-5
Second Test St George's Park, Port Elizabeth, March 9-13
Third Test Newlands, Cape Town, March 22-26
Fourth Test Wanderers, Johannesburg, March 30-April 3
