Melbourne: Former Australia captain Steve Smith will return to cricket after the ball-tampering scandal as a marquee player at next month’s Global T20 Canada league, which will be played June 28-July 16.
Smith was banned for 12 months from national and state teams for his role in the scandal in Cape Town in March, but the suspension does not extend to domestic tournaments outside his home nation.
The 28-year-old joins compatriot Chris Lynn as well as West Indian swashbuckler Chris Gayle and former Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi for the month-long tournament.
Australia batsman David Warner, who also received a year-long ban for his role in the South Africa scandal, is expected to join the tournament as a marquee.
Global T20 Canada will have a total of six teams with five representing Canadian cities – Edmonton Royals, Montreal Tigers, Toronto Nationals, Vancouver Knights and Winnipeg Hawks.
The players’ draft will take place next week. Cricket West Indies will have a representative team in the event with only Caribbean players. All matches will be played at the Maple Leaf Cricket Club near Toronto.
Smith and Warner will not be available for Australia until April next year. Batsman Cameron Bancroft was handed a nine-month ban for the tampering incident.
Australia, captained by Tim Paine, head to England to play a series of limited overs matches next month, their first international cricket since the ill-fated South Africa tour.
