Sydney: Star batsman Steve Smith will take the field for the first time at home in an Australian jersey since the end of his one year ban when Australia face Sri Lanka in the three-match T20I series starting Sunday. It will also be the first time in three years that Smith will be playing a T20 international for Australia.
"It should be good, I can't wait to play. It's a great honour to be back playing here in Australia, I'm excited," Smith was quoted as saying by the International Cricket Council (ICC) website.
Smith is widely considered the best batsman in the world in Test cricket and he justified the tag by smashing a whopping 774 runs in the Ashes in August-September. However, he has had frugal returns in his T20 career for Australia, scoring just 431 runs in 30 matches at 21.55.
Smith, however, said that there could be more continuity in the team with the T20 World Cup approaching. "I'm sure with the World Cup in a year's time, there's an opportunity to have that continuity. I think we've seen over the years that the T20 format is one where guys are rested a lot. That will probably change leading to the World Cup.
