South African opening batsman and Test skipper Graeme Smith will miss the fifth edition of the IPL which begins on April 4th. He will get his left ankle operated for which the recovery period will be in excess of 2 months. Proteas Team Manager, Dr Mohammed Moosjee said: “Graeme went to see CSA’s ankle specialist in Cape Town this weekend and he confirmed that the best management of the chronic pain in his ankle is surgery.
Smith, who was picked up by Sahara Pune Warriors in last year’s auction, expressed his disappointment on this development and said that he had been looking forward to playing the IPL this year. “The recovery period after such a surgery usually takes 8-10 weeks, and he will subsequently not be able to represent Pune Warriors at the 2012 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in India. I’m very disappointed to be missing out on the IPL this year,” Smith said. “My ankle has been troubling me for some time so it will be a relief to have it repaired, especially looking ahead to the crucial year of cricket ahead.”
However, he sounded confident about his team’s prospects.
“I was looking forward to my second season with Pune Warriors, especially after my knee set me back last season. I would like to wish them all of the best this year, I’m sure the new management and exciting new signings will be a positive boost for the side. ”