Smith to consult Warne ahead of England tour

Graeme Smith plans to seek advice from his IPL captain Shane Warne ahead of South Africa's four-Test series against England. Smith and Warne, who were once caught up in a verbal joust before Australia's tour to South Africa in 2006, have since improved their relationship after becoming team-mates in the Rajasthan Royals outfit, which clinched the inaugural edition of the Twenty20 tournament.

"It will be nice to swap a few ideas with him [Warne] when we are in England," Smith told Sondag, an Afrikaans language newspaper. "I think I learnt most from him whenever we chatted about cricket in general. He has a great cricketing brain and it was great for me to work with him and learn the way he thinks and works."

Smith's move is not surprising considering that Warne was England's nemesis for close to 15 years, a period in which he claimed 195 wickets against them, which is the best tally by a bowler against a single opposition.

He also praised Warne's leadership during the IPL. "There is no question he is a genius of the game and it was very interesting to hear how he plans to get a side to submit. It was also nice to see how he thinks about the game and he is a self-assured, positive captain. He can get the best out of players and we worked well together tactically."

However, Smith is doubtful for the first Test at Lord's, which begins on July 10, since he is recuperating from a hamstring injury sustained during the IPL. "I have a lot of pain at the moment," he said. "I have just started walking again and I am hopeful that I will be ready when we face Middlesex in a warm-up game. But I am unsure if I will be ready by then, especially as I have never had an injury like this."

South Africa depart for England on June 23.