Former Australian captain Steve Smith may headline new national Twenty20 grade cricket competition in Adelaide in March

Steve Smith is in line to play in a new national club Twenty20 tournament in Adelaide just three weeks before his 12-month ball-tampering ban ends.

Former Test skipper Steve Smith at the crease for Sutherland against St George in the NSW Twenty20 Cup at the SCG in Sydney. Picture: AAP/Joel Carrett

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Steve Smith is in line to play in a new national club Twenty20 tournament in Adelaide just three weeks before his 12-month ball-tampering ban ends.

The former Australian captain’s Sutherland side last night won Sydney’s grade T20 title and qualified for the SA-based competition, to be held at Karen Rolton Oval on March 5-6.

With Smith’s suspension complete on March 29, the tournament will be among his final games before he is eligible to play at international level again.

Steve Smith waits to take to the crease for Sutherland against St George. Picture: AAP/Joel Carrett

The national club T20 championship will feature 10 teams – the winner of each state and territory’s respective competitions, plus an extra side each from Victoria and NSW.

Sutherland secretary David Cush said Smith had not made a decision if he would play in the competition that it was “possible”.

“The short answer is we don’t know yet,” Cush said.

“Obviously we would love for him to play ... it’s possible but we can’t be any more definitve than that.

“I believe he’s going to the Bangladesh (Premier League) T20 and there’s possibly one in Pakistan as well.

“So we will wait and see.”

Smith scored 19 batting at number three for Sutherland as it chased down 122 with five wickets in hand against Sydney University in the grand final at the SCG.

Earlier yesterday, Smith led the way with 42 not out as the Sharks defeated St George in the preliminary final.

However it was Austin Waugh, the son of former Test captain Steve Waugh, who stole the show with a spectacular diving catch.

Smith’s last match for Australia was a Test against South Africa in Cape Town nine months ago when he was involved in “sandpaper-gate” with David Warner and Cameron Bancroft and subsequently banned for a year.

Warner also featured in the Sydney competition but his Randwick-Petersham outfit failed to make the major round.

Meanwhile, white-ball specialists Tea Tree Gully will once again be the hunted as Adelaide’s grade cricket T20 competition gets into full swing this Friday night.

It will feature six minor-rounds this season with double-header semi-finals to be held in the morning on January 20 and the grand final in the afternoon on the same day.

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