Home > Cricket > South Africa's tour of India 2005 >
Reuters >
Report
Smith could miss Australian tour
November 29, 2005 19:51 IST
South African captain Graeme Smith [Images] will know later on Tuesday whether a finger injury will prevent him from touring Australia [Images] next month.
Smith injured a finger on his left hand attempting to take a catch during the fifth one-day international between India and South Africa [Images] in Mumbai on Monday.
His hand will be examined by a specialist in Cape Town on Tuesday afternoon and he could be out for four weeks if the finger is broken.
"It will be unfair to comment on it until I have a scan," Smith told a media conference in Johannesburg on Tuesday after his team returned from India.
The first of South Africa's three Tests against Australia will be played in Perth from December 16.
South Africa drew their one-day series in India 2-2 despite the omission from their squad of the experienced trio of Herschelle Gibbs [Images], Nicky Boje and Boeta Dippenaar.
Gibbs and Boje declined to tour over fears they would be detained in connection with police investigations into match fixing, while Dippenaar had a wrist injury.
"I'm satisfied with the tour, but obviously disappointed, too," Smith said.
"We went there without our three most experienced one-day cricketers, a lot of the guys were playing in India for the first time and I think they did really well.
| Also Read | | |
|
"The way the guys performed and the manner in which we played our cricket was good."We were aggressive, we adapted in a lot of ways, and we can still improve."
Smith said there were similarities for visiting teams in India and Australia.
"The tour set us up nicely for Australia because the guys learnt how to play in a hostile environment," Smith said.