Cricket ban feels like lifetime
PAT Cummins can’t wait to call Steve Smith and David Warner teammates again, saying it feels like the banned duo have already spent five years in cricketing isolation.
Smith and Warner still have almost nine months to serve of their year-long bans resulting from the Cape Town cheating scandal.
The terms of those Cricket Australia (CA) sanctions dictate the batsmen can’t play for their country, state or a Big Bash League franchise.
Influential industry figures are pushing for the punishments to be softened, so Smith and Warner can play the second half of the Sheffield Shield season ahead of a World Cup and Ashes series in England, but CA insist that simply isn’t possible under the code of conduct.
“I’d love to see it. I’m not sure how realistic it is, but as a player I’d love to have them in any team I’m in ... and as a fan I’d love to see it,” Cummins said.
“It’s so great to see them back playing in Canada. It’s only been a couple of months since South Africa, but it feels like it’s been about five years they haven’t played.
“I’ve felt for them, the whole time. It’s been really hard seeing some of the things written about them by people who don’t know them.
“The way they’ve handled themselves has been incredibly impressive in pretty unprecedented circumstances.”
NSW captain Peter Nevill wants his young squad to use Smith and Warner as sounding boards this summer.
Cummins, who had just finished a spell at Newlands when the ball-tampering saga start- ed, suggested the banned duo “want to be around as much as they can”. “They want to be involved in cricket and do what’s best for cricket,” Cummins said.
“What an incredible resource to have, some of the best batsmen in the world.
“Young guys, guys on the fringe of Australia selection, pretty much any cricketer in the world has stuff to learn from them.”
Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc, who all missed Australia’s ODI tour of England because of injuries, remain hopeful they’ll be given the green light to resume bowling by the end of July.
The star quicks must hit that deadline if they’re to take part in Australia’s first Test tour without Smith and Warner, a series against Pakistan set to be held in October.