Smith to miss Champions League T20

Graeme Smith, the South Africa Test team captain, will require six to eight weeks of recovery after undergoing surgery on his right knee, and will consequently miss the Champions League Twenty20 which his franchise Cape Cobras have qualified for. Smith had an arthroscopy in Cape Town on July 15 and the results of the procedure were made available to the South Africa team management on July 18. While he will not be match-fit for the Champions League, which starts September 23, Smith should be ready in time for South Africa's international season.

"He had a debridement, which is basically shaving off of the cartilage," Mohammed Moosajee, the South Africa team manager told ESPNcricinfo. "He will be training under the guidance of the rehabilitation team."

The injury was sustained during the IPL in April where Smith was playing for Pune Warriors. He collided with team-mate Rahul Sharma while fielding against Kochi Tuskers Kerala and had to bat with a runner later on in the match. Smith only played two more games for Pune after the incident and was said to be in discomfort even though he was undergoing physiotherapy.

"He had an operation to the same knee when he was 19 years old," Moosajee said. "If everything goes well he will be ready in time for the summer."

Smith's eight-week recovery period will end in mid-September which will still give him a month to train before the start of Australia's tour to South Africa, which starts with a Twenty20 international on October 13 in Cape Town, and will include another T20, three ODIs and two Tests. Smith stepped down from the ODI captaincy at the conclusion of the World Cup, but is still available for selection in the limited-overs forms of the game.