Head injury rules Smith out for two weeks

Graeme Smith has been ruled out of the remainder of the ODI series against Pakistan with post-concussion syndrome and will require a minimum two weeks' rest. Smith was struck on the right temple by Mohammad Irfan during the Dubai Test, in which he made a double hundred, more than a week ago and played in the first two ODIs.

At the time, Smith said he merely had a "buzzing head" for the rest of the day but "seven days post-injury, during the second ODI in Dubai he started complaining of blurred vision which progressed to dizziness, unsteadiness on his feet and difficulty focusing," according to team manager Mohammad Moosajee. An MRI scan showed no damage to the brain but Smith will return home to be monitored by medical staff.

Titans opener Henry Davids has been named as Smith's replacement. Davids is already part of the national T20 squad and is the joint-highest scorer in the one-day cup, with 327 runs at 40.87 and three fifties. Colin Ingram, who also leads the run charts, and was part of the squad as Hashim Amla's replacement was sent home after scoring a duck - his third consecutive one in ODIs - and 4 in the first two matches, leaving Quinton de Kock to open the batting with Amla in Wednesday's match.

That means South Africa will not be able to make use of an experienced opening combination in this series. They were hopeful of having Smith and Amla together but that will not be possible since Smith is now injured and Amla was out of the first two games, as he was in South Africa awaiting the birth of his second child.

Instead, they will have to wait for the return series at home when Smith should be available again. In exactly two weeks' time, South Africa will play the first of two T20s against Pakistan at home with the ODI series to follow. The first match is scheduled for November 24 which gives Smith 18 days to make a full recovery.