Clay Smith's recuperation from knee surgery is going better than expected and the Bermuda skipper expects to be able to begin jogging again in about a month's time.

The much-missed middle order lynchpin said yesterday he is experiencing no pain whatsoever almost five weeks after the operation to remove bone spurs and considerable arthritis from his left knee.

And after several gym sessions a week with national team physio Daniel Morgan ? where he has spent hours on the stationary bike draining the stiffness from his knee ? Smith is optimistic that it will be about two months before he is back playing a full part in training.

"It's feeling pretty good," he said.

"I've got absolutely no pain in the knee whatsoever at the moment, though it is the stiffness which has been the main problem all along and I've still got a bit of that. Both Daniel and I have been working on getting a range of motion back into the knee and to be honest I think I'll be able to do some light jogs in about a month or so."

Smith knows full well that before the operation, the knee was in seriously bad shape and he may need to have a replacement when his sporting career is over.

As it is, he believes he can probably only survive another three years of international cricket ? by which time he will be 38 and ready to put his feet up.

"If I can get through to the ICC Trophy in 2009 and help the team qualify for the World Cup again, that will be enough for me," he said.

Smith will definitely miss Bermuda's upcoming tour of Trinidad on April 10, but may well be in the frame for the squad's anticipated matches with Zimbabwe and Canada ? again in Trinidad ? at the end of May.