South Africa captain Graeme Smith has been ruled out of this year's Indian Premier League with an ankle injury.
The opening batsman has been troubled by a persistent problem since the turn of the year and will undergo surgery on Tuesday.
The decision was made for the 31-year-old to have the operation now in order for him to be fit for his nation's summer tour of England.
"Graeme went to see CSA's ankle specialist in Cape Town on Friday and he confirmed that the best management of the chronic pain in his ankle is surgery," said Proteas team manager Dr Mohammed Moosjee.
"The recovery period after such a surgery usually takes eight to 10 weeks, and he will subsequently not be able to represent Pune Warriors at the 2012 edition of the Indian Premier League in India."
Smith previously represented the Rajasthan Royals before being traded to the newly-formed Warriors franchise in 2011.
Joe Fish
