Melbourne, Dec 23 : South Africa captain Graeme Smith has been cleared to play against Australia in the second Test at the MCG from December 26.

Smith, one of the stars of the Proteas' six-wicket win in Perth, has battled pain in his right elbow for some time and regularly undergoes painkilling injections, The Age reported.

But coach Mickey Arthur said on Tuesday that the left-handed opener would definitely play on Boxing Day, although the Proteas had to determine whether Smith needed to undergo corrective surgery in the future.

Perth, Dec. 17 : In an explosive claim leading into the first South Africa-Australia Test at the WACA Ground in Perth, South African captain Graeme Smith says Warne has told him how he should go about bringing down Australia''s batting champions Ricky Ponting and Matthew Hayden.

Writing an exclusive column in The Daily Telegraph, Smith reveals he used his stint at the Rajasthan Royals under Warne''s captaincy to gain inside information on Australia''s batsmen.

Melbourne, Dec 13: Graeme Smith, who became South Africa’s youngest captain in 2003, has said that he is still trying to prove himself and is a better leader now.

“I think the best way to explain it is, when I took over the captaincy at 22 in 2003 there were so many doomsayers saying it was the wrong decision – He’s still trying to prove himself in the world of cricket, he’s just 22, how can he be captain?’” Smith (27) said.

Melbourne, Dec 10: South African captain Graeme Smith has joined strike bowler Dale Steyn and frontline spinner Paul Harris on the sidelines for the tourists' opening match against Western Australia on Thursday.

Smith will miss the one-dayer at the WACA with an elbow injury, coach Mickey Arthur told reporters on Wednesday.

Steyn, who is nursing a minor hamstring strain, and left-arm spinner Harris, who has had a cast removed from his injured left thumb, will also miss the game, the Daily Telegraph reported.

However, all three are expected to play in the two-day match against a WA XI starting on Friday.

Arthur said the injury to Steyn, the leading bowler in Test cricket in 2008 with 60 wickets, was not serious.