Injury-stricken Steve Smith might miss Pakistan Super League 4

Australian cricket star Steve Smith's return to international cricket has hit a major blow after he injured his elbow and would need surgery to fix it.

The injury cannot have come at a more improper time for Smith with only three months remaining to serve on his year-long suspension. The former Aussies captain is well out of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) and might not be available for the upcoming fourth edition of Pakistan Super League (PSL).

Smith is set to undergo surgery to repair a ligament in his right elbow on January 15, reported cricket.com.au. The right-hander is then expected to be in a brace for six weeks, which will be followed by extensive rehabilitation.

With the PSL fourth edition right around the corner, scheduled to be played from February 14 till 17 March 2019, this comes as a major blow for the Pakistani league.

Steve Smith was picked by the Multan Sultans in the platinum category, and has only given his conditional availability for the fourth edition of the PSL, insisting that he would only be playing matches in the United Arab Emirates and not travel to Pakistan for the playoffs and final.