South African captain Smith injures hand

Grame Smith was hit several times by Shoaib AKhtar during the first ODI

ABU DHABI: South African one-day and Test captain Graeme Smith is undergoing treatment after injuring his left hand, but escaped without a fracture, an official said Saturday.

The 29-year-old left-handed batsman was hit several times by paceman Shoaib Akhtar during the first of five one-day internationals which South Africa comfortably won by eight wickets here on Friday.

"Smith's X-ray scans show that there are no new fractures to his left hand, only soft tissue swelling and boney contusion. The team physiotherapist will reassess his injury in the next day or two," team manager Mohammed Moosajee said in a statement.

Smith had to walk off the field after scoring 18. South Africa successfully chased a modest 204-run target to take a 1-0 lead in the series.

All-rounder Jacques Kallis, who was carried off the field because of severe cramping will also be monitored closely in the next 24 hours, the manager said.

Kallis, 34, had to be connected to an intravenous line after suffering from dehydration on the field.

He was recovering from a viral infection which triggered his initial bout of nausea and dizziness and this led to the severe dehydration and cramping, said the manager.

Kallis missed the Twenty20 series which South Africa won 2-0 on Wednesday.

The second match will be played here on Sunday. South Africa will also play two Tests - one each in Dubai and Abu Dhabi - during the series shifted to United Arab Emirates due to security fears.