Steve Smith will front the press for the first time since his post-ban interaction all the way back in May. Smith will speak at 2:45pm local time at the Sydney Cricket Ground. He will face the reporters in an attempt to summarize his off-field efforts in the duration of his suspension. He will perhaps chalk out his plans for the immediate future as well given less than a hundred days are left before the suspension ends.
Smith was banned for a year by Cricket Australia for his role in the Sandpapaer Gate. The stipulations kept him suspended from the international side and the domestic sides in Australia for a year. To add to that, he cannot lead the national side for two years after his return. However, given the dire straits Australian batting is in, they would be glad to accept solely his batting services.
Despite the bans, Smith has found a way to keep hitting the ball in competitive cricket. Turning out for Toronto Nationals, Smith scored 167 runs in 6 innings, averaging 33.40. Just when the GT20 Canada ended, Smith flew to the Caribbean where he featured for the Barbados Tridents. He struggled for rhythm with 185 runs in 7 innings at 26.42, but his once prominent bowling prospered.
Down at home, Smith went back to his roots. He wore the Sutherland jersey in the NSW Premier League competition, captaining them to the championship in the final at the SCG. His place among the public interests was evident as huge crowds, otherwise unknown to grade cricket, turned up to watch him.
He has faced a turmoil of conflicting emotions starting from the dizzying highs of his spectacular Ashes campaign to the darkness of Newlands. After his frist hit in the GT20, he spoke thus, “I’ve been up and down with my emotions if I’m being honest.”
“I’ve had times particularly watching the boys play in England and not play well as they could have … where it was hurting me that I couldn’t’ go out and help them.
“When they hopped on the plane over there I had some emotions that were a bit down.”
