Smith delays operation

Graeme Smith wants to play Australia again before taking action on his tennis elbow

South Africa captain Graeme Smith intends to wait until after next month’s home Test series against Australia before undergoing surgery for a chronic tennis elbow condition.

On arriving back in South Africa after leading the Proteas to a historic 2-1 series win in Australia, Smith revealed he will be seeing a surgeon on Saturday to settle on the right course of action.

"It is really a matter of resting it and then finding a window of eight to 12 weeks so that I can have surgery. In the meantime, we will just be treating it and keeping it manageable," he said.

The first Test against the Australians gets under way in Johannesburg on February 26.

Smith is currently recovering from a fractured hand he suffered in his side’s third Test defeat in Sydney earlier this week, but hopes to be fit when Australia come looking for revenge in February.

"I am really looking forward to being involved in the Test series back home," he added.