LEON Smith reckons the camaraderie which has carried Great Britain's squad through the Davis Cup divisions will be tested to the full when he informs some of his players that they will play no part in one of the biggest days in the nation's sporting history. The collegiate Smith has named a five-man group which will attempt to win this trophy for the first time since 1936 in Belgium but with Andy Murray potentially set to play all three days and Jamie Murray a shoe-in for the doubles he is bracing himself for one of the biggest decisions in his life when he has to disappoint up to two from James Ward, Kyle Edmund or doubles expert Dom Inglot.
"There is great togetherness in the squad," said the Glaswegian. "But it's certainly tested when the stakes get higher. When I was making team selections in [Euro/Africa Zone] Division II, as much as they felt important, you could see that there's less on it. The stakes here are much higher. It's a huge moment for everybody. Whoever doesn't play will be extremely disappointed and it will take a lot of TLC from everybody to be able to pick them up. Because, you know, when is the next time this is going to happen, based on history? Let's hope it's not as long a wait, but you never know.
"It is the biggest decision of my life, because I care about the players," he added. "Even the way my contract is set up, I am pretty much full-time on this. I spend an awful lot of time with the guys and it is not as though you can stay aloof. We are all at tournaments throughout the year spending time together, a lot of practice sessions and dinners together. I hope there's enough goodwill and time invested in those relationships that we can stand the test of that selection for the good of the team.
"But over time, it is like anybody who is in a leadership position. You have to take a deep breath and make some calls. That does not mean they get any easier. You just have to park, as best you can, the emotional attachment and just deliver the news for the betterment of the team. Because if we win, it is good for everybody regardless of whether somebody actually played a live rubber come the final."
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