Sydney: Steve Smith has returned to the nets after an elbow surgery, with Australia coach Justin Langer expecting the banned former captain and his deputy David Warner to be fit for the Indian Premier League.
Smith went under the knife in January after being forced to drop out of the Bangladesh Premier League Twenty20 tournament with a ligament problem.
He has been in a brace since, but picked up a bat again and had a session at the Sydney Cricket Ground Thursday.
“Great to have my first hit back. The elbow is feeling good,” Smith posted to his 1.4 million Instagram followers with a short video early Friday.
Smith and Warner become eligible for international selection again on March 29 after serving year-long bans for their part in attempting to alter the ball during a Test against South Africa.
Warner also returned home from Bangladesh with an injured elbow, though less serious than Smith. He too had surgery and was also at the SCG on Thursday.
Once their bans expire, both players will be eligible for the final two games of Australia’s five-match ODI series against Pakistan in the UAE next month.
The squad for that series has yet to be announced, although the general consensus in Australia is that they will instead play the IPL to prepare themselves for the World Cup in England.
AFP
