Graeme Smith

Calcutta: It’s not official as yet, but South Africa’s Graeme Smith, who recently underwent surgery on his left knee, won’t be available for next month’s (second) Afro-Asia Cup.

The tournament, which features three ODIs, will be played between June 6-10. Bangalore hosts the first match, while the last two (back-to-back) are going to be in Chennai.

The inaugural edition, hosted by South Africa in August 2005, ended 1-1.

“Graeme, I’m sorry to say, won’t be captaining Africa… He has just come out of hospital and the Cup isn’t many days away,” Africa squad manager Goolam Rajah told The Telegraph on Friday.

Rajah, also South Africa’s long-standing manager, added that the selectors haven’t decided on who will captain in Smith’s absence.

Smith, by the way, has been leading the Proteas for over four years.

Africa’s selectors did name Steve Tikolo as Smith’s deputy when the 15-man squad was announced, but there’s no guarantee that the Kenyan is going to get the captaincy.

Given the Big Brother-factor, it won’t surprise if senior pro Shaun Pollock is given the responsibility.

Pollock, too, has undergone (heel) surgery. Rajah, however, said he should be able to bat and bowl.

“At the moment, there’s nothing to suggest that Shaun can only bat… If there’s a doubt, then he will obviously be guided by medical advice.”

As for Smith’s replacement in the squad, there’s talk that 30-year-old right-handed opener, Lungile Loots Bosman, may get the nod.

“Yes, his name is doing the rounds,” Rajah confirmed.

Bosman was a member of the South African squad which made the semi-finals of the last World Cup.

While a Smith-specific announcement is awaited, next month’s tournament has already ‘lost’ controversial crowd-puller Shoaib Akhtar, who’d been selected for the Mahela Jayawardene-led Asia.