Sydney, January 1:

South Africa skipper Graeme Smith will miss the Twenty20 and one-day international (ODI) matches against Australia in an attempt to recover from a chronic elbow injury.

Smith will fly home after the third and final Test but is expected to play in the three-Test home series against Australia, which starts in February.

Coach Mickey Arthur said: “He will have the blood injection when he gets back. We think this will give him the best possibility opportunity of being fit for the home series.”

Arthur said Smith, who was the highest Test run-scorer in 2008, has been in a lot of pain during the current Test series — which South Africa currently lead 2-0. “He is desperate to play at Sydney and make it a great match for the team and for South Africa. He has a very high pain threshold,” added Arthur.

Veteran Neil McKenzie will remain with the squad, while Johan Botha will skipper the side in place of Smith. “It does give us an opportunity with our ODI side,” said Arthur.

“As I have always said, our one-day side is still a work in progress, it is still a young side, and we are giving an opportunity to some younger guys to stake a claim. We are looking to build our one-day side over the next two years, which obviously culminates in the next World Cup on the sub-continent in 2011.”

“So it will be a slightly younger one-day side. Johan Botha will take over as captain and we will keep another wise head in the dressing room in the form of Neil McKenzie.

He will stay as cover in the batting department and we think that is the best route to go. It is unfortunate to lose your captain but we need to give him the best opportunity to be ready for the Test series in South Africa.”

South Africa take on Australia in the third and final Test in Sydney starting on Friday. They can eclipse Australia as the leading Test-playing nation if they complete a 3-0 series win. The two sides will then play two Twenty20 matches and five one-day internationals during January.