Dec 26, 2008

Sport - Cricket;Smith mulls bloody end to woes

South African skipper Graeme Smith says he may have to have his own blood injected into his injured elbow in a gory remedy to save his Australian cricket summer.

Smith, the heart and soul of the Proteas side, has been battling a painful tennis elbow injury for almost a year and he is now prepared to turn to almost anything to treat it.

The latest batch of painkilling injections earlier this week left his elbow badly bruised and Smith has been unable to train fully, although he will be fit to play in Friday's Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, reports the Daily Telegraph.

Melbourne orthopaedic surgeon Greg Hoy has suggested Smith could even have his own blood injected into his elbow to try to stimulate blood flow and fast-track the healing process. “The surgeons have suggested methods,” he was quoted as saying by the daily. “Cortisone was one that never worked, there are other suggestions of injections of blood into it and stuff like that which sound a bit gory. If it doesn't work I might end up having to have surgery.”

Smith also said that his side is in a better position than hosts Australia ahead of the Boxing Day Test.

“From our perspective I think the guys are far more settled now, there's a lot more self-belief in terms of what they’ve achieved as a team and individually in the last Test. I think there’ll be a few exciting moments but I think most guys are in a good space,” said Smith.

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