Smith injures finger ahead of Kolkata Test

Kolkata, Feb.12 (ANI): South African cricket captain Graeme Smith has sustained a finger injury while fielding at the Eden Gardens here this morning, and may or may not play the second and final Test against India starting from February 14.

An x-ray taken at the ground cleared him of any tendon damage. Smith has gone to hospital for an MRI scan.

Smith was hit on his left little finger during practice.

Michael Owen-Smith, South Africa's media manager, said he had strained a ligament on the outside half of the finger.

"He had an x-ray on the little finger of his left hand, it shows no fracture at all. We are having MRI scan this afternoon just to be 100 percent certain of what the injury is. It is obviously some sort of ligament damage, so it is just to establish if it is that. At this stage it has been treated as a sprained ligament," Owen-Smith said.

"I'm pretty sure he would around," said AB de Villiers. "Obviously he is one of those irreplaceable players."

Over the last 20 months Smith has had long-standing injury problems.

He first suffered a tennis elbow injury during the IPL in India in April 2008 and that forced him to miss the last three ODIs against England the same year. He later broke his hand while facing Australia's Mitchell Johnson in the third Test in Sydney but bravely batted in the second innings to try and save the game.

He missed the subsequent ODI series and decided to delay the surgery on on his injured tennis elbow until after the return series against the Australians at home last year. (ANI)