Smith targets Trophy return

South Africa captain Graeme Smith is hoping to be fit in time for the ICC Champions Trophy in September.

Proteas skipper on the road to recovery after surgery

South Africa captain Graeme Smith is hoping to be fit in time for the ICC Champions Trophy in September. Smith had surgery on his elbow in June after struggling with chronic pain in the joint for 14 months. And having return to training and started to hit a few tennis balls, Smith is bidding to be ready for the limited overs competition. "I'm starting to get back into the mould now," he said. "We have a national selection meeting tomorrow and then a camp for the Champions Trophy on August 28. "I'm still in the process of getting there (back to peak fitness). A couple more weeks will help get me really ready. "Hopefully I'll have progressed a lot further by the Proteas training camp, and be ready for full net practices. "I've been working hard here with Rob Walter, the new SA fitness trainer, and with the people at Province. "So it feels like I'm back as an 18 or 19-year-old again, grafting hard. But I really want to give myself the best opportunity to play for five or six years more for South Africa. I want to be fit enough to achieve that."