South African Test captain Graeme Smith has reportedly completed his first competitive outing since May in a warm-up match between Indian side Madhya Pradesh and Proteas domestic side Cape Cobras at Newlands.
Earlier this year, Smith had to cut short his county stint at Surrey due to the recurrence of an ankle problem, which was diagnosed to be a fracture of the heel bone, following which, Smith had two pins inserted during an operation on his heel.
According to the Daily Times, Smith was on crutches for eight weeks before he could begin any physical activity, although he has made steady progress with the help of a personal trainer, biokineticist, physiotherapist and other experts.
The report mentioned Smith fielded in the slips and reported a clean bill of health after 21 weeks out of the game, which bodes well for the upcoming series against Pakistan, following a rehabilitation stint, which included running on an anti-gravity treadmill and regular cricket activity.
Confirming Smith's fitness, team manager Mohammad Moosajee said that they have approached every week with a plan in place to get Smith ready for the series against Pakistan, although he added that the player would not be overloaded as they have been careful to monitor him at every step.
With the South African side Smith will depart for Dubai on Friday evening for a series of two Tests, five ODIs and two Twenty20s against Pakistan, the report added.
