SYDNEY, Jan 4: South Africa captain Graeme Smith broke his left hand on Sunday after being struck a painful blow by rising Australian fast bowler Mitchell Johnson during the second day of the third and final Test here.

Smith, who was struck on the knuckle on his little finger, is unlikely to bat in the second innings after he retired hurt on 30 and went for X-rays that showed the break in the fifth metacarpal. He is out for six weeks.

Smith had, however, already planned to miss the one-day series in Australia because of his right elbow problem.

He will meet with the team’s medical specialists in Pretoria next week to plan his recovery from both injuries. He has a good chance of being ready for the home Test series against Australia, which starts on Feb 26.

Smith will bat in the second innings in Sydney only if South Africa need a handful of runs for victory and a stand-in captain will be decided before the second innings.

With vice-captain Ashwell Prince, already out of the series also with a hand injury, wicket-keeper Mark Boucher is the leading candidate.

“If we need 10 to win I’m pretty sure Graeme will go in there, but it all depends on the situation,” South African spinner Paul Harris said on Sunday. “He’s disappointed to be injured, but this is the kick he needed to take a little bit of rest. The big guy has been playing for a long time in a lot of pain. I don’t think people realise how hard it is to play in the pain he is in. A lot of other guys would have packed in a long time ago.”

Smith, the victim of a crack in the surface of the Sydney wicket, was forced to retire hurt when he was unable to put his glove back on.

He had batted with all his current form and confidence in making 30 off 31 balls (five boundaries) when he was struck.

Cricket South Africa in a statement said: “Medical opinion is that he will not require surgery – the injury has been placed in a plastic cast – and that the recovery time should be approximately six weeks, the same length of time he is likely to require to allow his elbow to recover.”—Agencies