Did going stag hurt skipper Smith?

JOHANNESBURG: How Graeme Smith sustained his ankle injury has become a subject of speculation after it emerged that the dashing South African skipper may have picked it during a wild stag party. It was officially stated that Smith had sustained the injury while jogging but a caller to the Johannesburg-based private radio station, Radio 702, said he was amazed by such reports.

“I was in the area where Smith and some of his teammates were having a party. It appeared that they were having a stag (a groom’s last party with boys before marriage) and they were having a jolly good time,” said the caller. “I am surprised that claims are being made that he was injured while jogging. It’s one of the dumbest excuses.”

Smith himself said in an interview to the Sunday Times that he suffered the injury to his left ankle when he was trying to get into his car while talking on the cell phone.
“I guess I wasn’t concentrating,” Smith said. “I was running to get into a car when my foot slipped and my shoe caught in the gap between the pavement and the road.”

He said it was a bad way to end a relaxed weekend with family and friends, including some cricket teammates and “a mate who is getting married”.

“Fortunately my parents were there and they drove me back to Cape Town,” he added. Smith was examined in Cape Town and transferred to Pretoria where he underwent a surgery. He has now been ruled out of the upcoming Test tour of Sri Lanka and the tri-series which has India as the third team.