As far as most of the cricketing world is concerned, South Africa is at the forefront of Test cricket.

Since taking the No.1 spot on the ICC Test Championship table midway through 2012, South Africa has gone from strength to strength and clearly stands a cut above the rest in the Test arena.

Yet the Australian tour of South Africa has exposed some kinks in the armour, with the man who has captained his country through 114 Tests, Graeme Smith, announcing his retirement. The South Africans may be poised for an Oedipus-like fall from grace, however the loss of an integral key to their recent success could prove to be no more than a blip on the radar.

“I think our bowlers took 28 wickets in this Test” – @GraemeSmith49 #SAvAUS pic.twitter.com/PUzxvMRl0F

— CA Digital Media (@CricketAus) February 23, 2014

First, South Africa must do something it hasn’t done for a long time; find a new captain. AB de Villiers is perhaps the obvious choice given he is the captain of the One-Day team and potentially the best batsman in the world. But he is 30 years old and if he was to retire at the same age as Smith, South Africa would only get three years of captaincy out of him.

Recently appointed T20 captain Faf du Plessis is another option but that would hardly be a foolproof choice. He is only a few months younger than de Villiers, and despite a Test average of over 50, he only averages 40.05 overall in first class and 27.55 in One-Day Internationals. One poor series could see du Plessis’ spot become vulnerable.

Instead South Africa should turn to its past success – it would do well to replicate the risk it took over 10 years ago by appointing a young captain. But who should the Proteas pick? One candidate who matches Smith’s profile is a raw young talent named Quinton de Kock.

De Kock, 21-years-old, was the player who replaced Smith in the One-Day team and like Smith, is a left-handed batsman who likes to dominate the opposition’s attack. It would be a bold risk naming a man with a meager seventeen international games – only one of those being a Test match – as the team’s captain, but it would be similar to what South Africa did all those years ago with Smith.

It is perhaps a little simplistic to claim that all South Africa must do to stop the bleeding is select the right man to take over the captain’s role – after all, issues were apparent even before the announcement of Smith’s retirement.

The Proteas must once again cast their eyes back to past triumphs to guide their future decisions. The foundations for South Africa’s rise to the pinnacle of Test cricket were laid by greats of the game, such as Shaun Pollock, Mark Boucher, Jacques Kallis and Smith himself. The four were 22, 20, 20 and 21 respectively when they made their debuts.

Finally, South Africa must not shy away from tough opposition. The team didn’t rise to No.1 in the world by bullying the minnows of the cricket world, but by defying the odds against traditionally powerful teams. This has been tidily exemplified by the recent demolition of India and consistent battles with Australia.

It would be forgivable for South Africa in this time of rebuilding to take its foot off the gas, but if it were to do so against the heavyweights of Test cricket the team would most likely be beaten – and badly.

It has been a joy for cricket fans to witness South Africa’s recent rise to the top, but the reign does not have to end. Even with the departure of Smith, if South Africa make the most of its notable talent and are courageous in the decision-making process, the success may stretch for many years to come.

Klaus Nannestad a first-year Bachelor of Journalism (Sport) student at La Trobe University. You can follow him on Twitter @KNannestad.