Steve Smith's brilliant gesture ahead of return from suspension
Ahead of his return to top-level cricket, Steve Smith is giving back to the club where he cut his teeth.
The former Aussie captain’s ban for ball-tampering ends on March 29, but recent elbow surgery means his return to the national side will be somewhat delayed.
The elbow injury also means he won’t be available for club side Sutherland this week, as they take part in the finals of the National Premier Twenty20 competition.
Smith has been allowed to play club cricket during his 12-month suspension, and helped Sutherland advance to the finals by playing in their last two qualifying matches, helping them win the NSW state title in the process.
His recent surgery means he can’t play this week, but in a brilliant gesture, Smith has travelled with the side to Adelaide and will be coaching them.
“Obviously we would have loved Smithy to have played for us, so he is a big out, but having him down in Adelaide as coach will be fantastic for our team,” Sutherland team manager Tom Iceton told the Adelaide Advertiser last week.
“He’s obviously got a lot of T20 experience and to have him there providing advice will be a great help to our boys.
“When I let the team know Steve was going to coach them they were all very excited.”
Iceton revealed how Smith has given back to his local club during his ban.
“He always wanted to come to Adelaide but he wasn’t sure how he was going to be placed, but he gave me the good news and I was able to pass that on to the boys,” Iceton added.
“He really embraced being back playing with the club in the first half of the season, playing everything up until Christmas, and he was particularly excited when we won the T20 competition because that was the first premiership he’s won with the club.
“Steve only knew a couple of the guys at the start of the season but he’s got to know them all very well now and it’s going to be great to have him with us.”
Smith and Warner made to wait
Last week, Aaron Finch all but confirmed Smith and David Warner won’t make immediate returns when their year-long bans expire during Australia’s ODI series against Pakistan.
As reported by AAP last month, Smith and Warner are instead set to return from elbow surgery during the Indian Premier League as they build towards inclusion in Australia’s World Cup squad.
Smith and Warner are free to represent their country from March 29, so could have featured in the final two games of a five-match series between Australia and Pakistan in the UAE.
However, the banned batsmen’s injuries have seemingly ensured that scenario is no longer on the table.
“I’m not 100 per cent sure on that but I don’t think that they’ll play those last one or two games,” Finch told reporters in Hyderabad.
Smith and Warner are set to be included in Australia’s 15-man World Cup squad but Finch reiterated that nothing is certain at this stage for obvious reasons.
“They’re both coming off pretty significant surgeries – elbows – which are so temperamental in our game,” he said.
“They haven’t played any cricket of note for a long time.”
with AAP
