Graeme Smith undergoes surgery

South Africa's captain, Graeme Smith, has undergone a minor operation in Cape Town to reconstruct a stomach valve.

The surgical procedure, known as Nissen Fundoplication, was carried out at the Kingsbury Hospital on Monday. The chronic condition, while not debilitating in any way, had been causing Smith severe discomfort for a number of years.

According to staff at the hospital, the procedure was uneventful and a success, and Smith is now recuperating at home. He intends to resume training in mid-June, before leading South Africa on a five-week tour of Sri Lanka in late July.

Smith had some cause for celebration, however, when it was announced that his girlfriend, Minki van der Westhuizen, was named the sexiest woman in South Africa by the men's magazine FHM.