Sammy bats for Smith

THE weight of expectation being shouldered by Steve Smith in his return to cricket has been amplified by news several of his high- profile teammates have not arrived in Toronto.

West Indian star Darren Sammy demanded the fledg- ling Toronto Nationals side make Smith their No. 1 pick at the inaugural Canada Global T20 draft, and he revealed that he’d told the deposed Australian captain he would emerge from the ball- tampering scandal a “more respected man”.

Smith has barely picked up a bat since he was banned from international cricket for 12 months, but even in the backwaters of Ontario he will walk straight into the hot seat with Pakistani internationals Kamran Akmal and Muhammad Sami to miss the opener against Chris Gayle’s Vancouver Knights after being delayed by visa issues.

It leaves Smith out there on his own, with help from Sammy and fellow West Indian Kieron Pollard as the only experienced figures in the Toronto line- up trying to dethrone the “Universe Boss” Gayle and fellow six- hitting king Andre Russell.

Unheralded players from the ICC’s pool of associate nations will have to fill in until the Pakistanis arrive.

Sammy will skipper the Toronto side, but heaped praise on the leadership shown by Smith during the most tumultuous period of his career and played down the pressure he is under to perform.

“I wanted to pick him first in my team. I knew ( all the other internationals here) and I said give me Steve Smith,” said Sammy, who will bat the Australian at No. 3.

“That’s because he knows how to win cricket matches.

“What I really respected about him was the way he took full responsibility as a leader.

“To be able to take more than 75 per cent share of the blame … that’s leadership for you.”