Australia need Smith & Warner back desperately, feels Shane Warne

Former Australian captain Shane Warne feels the national desperately need Steve Smith and David Warner to be back in the setup. He said the two key players who are serving a year of ban for their involvement in the ball-tampering incident on the tour of South Africa earlier this year, will be back even stronger after serving the punishment.

Australia have seen a low since the duo was given a send-off. While they lost the Test series against South Africa 1-3, they were thumped 0-5 by England in a ODI series and also lost to Pakistan in the final of a T20I tri-series held in Zimbabwe. Both Smith and Warner have been featuring in T20 leagues to stay in touch with the game.

We’re desperate for them

“I still think they’ll be back, we need them, we’re desperate for them. Have a look at the Australian side at the moment, we’re lacking in batting so we desperately need them,” Warne, the second highest wicket-taker in Tests (708), told Fox Sports News.

“We sort of want to rush them back but they’ll do their time, they’ll pay their penance, their 12 months, and then they’ll be back and be better than ever,” Warne said.

25-year-old Cameron Bancroft was also banned along with captain Smith and vice-captain Warner in that fateful series against the Proteas for involvement in the ball-tampering during the third Test match in Cape Town. While the two senior players were banned for a year, Bancroft’s punishment is for nine months.

Cricket Australia also banned the players from appearing in domestic competitions following a huge uproar and they were also barred from playing the Indian Premier League.

Smith and Warner, however, went to Canada to play in the Global T20 League Canada. Warner also played in the NT Strike League along with Bancroft. While Smith and Warner will come out of their ban in April next year, Bancroft will be available for selection from January.

Warne’s concern is understandable since Australia have failed to impress under the new captain Tim Paine who took over from Smith. They have a packed schedule coming up with Test series against Pakistan and India and ODI games against South Africa before the all-important World Cup next year.

‘Pick the best team & choose captain from it’

Warne is of the opinion that Australia should have picked the best team possible and choose the captain from its members and not picking a skipper and setting up the team around him.

“The Australian way is always to pick your best team. There’s a lot of talk about ‘should Tim Paine be in the side’. He’s the captain at the moment. We as Australians should always pick our best team and then pick our captain and vice-captain from that. I don’t think we should just make a captain and then fit a side around him,” he said.

The former spinner also felt that Nathan Lyon could be one considered for Australia’s captaincy if Paine is found to be wanting.

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