Exiled Australian skipper Steve Smith could return to cricket as soon as this month
STEVE Smith could return to first class cricket as early as this month with the exiled Australian skipper pondering a county cricket stint.
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STEVE Smith could return to first class cricket as early as this month with the exiled Australian skipper pondering a county cricket stint.
The Daily Telegraph has learned that a move to England could be the first stop in Smith’s long journey back to the Australian team.
While he has been exiled from domestic and international cricket in Australia for the next 12 months, it is understood Cricket Australia would not stand in Smith’s way should he want to make a move to England.
The county season starts later this month. Fellow banned player Cameron Bancroft is also considering a county moved despite having being axed from Somerset following the ball-tampering saga.
Smith and Dave Warner, who could also pursue opportunities in England, had their rich IPL contracts torn up, meaning the English Cricket Board would need to rubber stamp any moves by counties to sign the besieged trio.
A potential move would also help the players in a bid to impress ahead of the 2019 Ashes campaign in England.
Smith is no stranger to playing domestic cricket in England. He skipped the final year of his schooling to play league cricket in England, going on to feature for Kent’s second XI.
He holds an English passport — thanks to his London-born mother Gillian and was pursued by England to represent their national team — with Surrey leading the way for his services.
Indian captain Virat Kohli will play for Surrey this English summer.
It may be difficult for Smith, Warner and Bancroft to secure opportunities for the entire county season but there are plenty of roster spots available for shorter stints in first-call and Twenty 20.
Smith’s potential move comes as the Australian Cricketers Association (ACA) president Greg Dyer labelled the respective nine and 12-month bans as “disproportionate”.
This despite the fact CA’s bans were for bringing the game into disrepute, not ball tampering.
He also backed reports that the player should be allowed to return earlier to domestic cricket.
The players have until Thursday to appeal their ban with the ACA providing assistance.
“Justice which is rushed can sometimes be flawed,” Dyer, a former Test player, said.
“Of the dozen or so matters of this type, the most severe suspension to date has been a ban for two one-day internationals.
“The informed conclusion is that, as right as the motivation is, the proposed penalties are disproportionate relative to precedent.
“The ACA asks Cricket Australia in its final deliberation to consider all these factors.
“We ask consideration be given to recalibrating the proposed sanctions, to consider options such as suspending or reducing part of the sanction, to considering allowing players to return to domestic cricket earlier as an important part of their rehabilitation.”
Dyer criticised elements of Cricket Australia’s handling of the matter — particularly the rushed Smith and Bancroft press conference — when they first addressed the media about the incident.
However, The Daily Telegraph understands this is inconsistent with what actually took place — given Smith insisted he front up to the accusations and meet them head on.
“This was unfair to the players,” Dyer said. “It would be unfair to any person in any workplace to be rushed in this way.”
Dyer also backed an independent review into the culture of cricket in Australia.
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