New Zealand beat the South Africans by 49 runs in the World Cup quarterfinals, a match in which the last eight Proteas wickets fell for just 64.
It was a rude shock for Smith's men, who won five of their games leading up to the quarter-finals, including a nail-biting encounter against India in Nagpur.
"We played a few outstanding games and there were various highlights which we can look back on, but for now it is going to be difficult to for the team and the immediate future looks bleak," Smith told the Afrikaans weekly 'Rapport' after the squad returned home late last night.
Smith feels immediate future bleak for Proteas
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