Smith, Warner Likely To Feature In ODI Series Against Pakistan

Australia coach Justin Langer said there is "potential" for Steve Smith and David Warner to feature in a one-day series against Pakistan in the UAE just days after their ball-tampering suspensions are served, an Australian website www.cricket.com.au., reported on Mondady.

ISLAMABAD, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 24th Dec, 2018 ) :Australia coach Justin Langer said there is "potential" for Steve Smith and David Warner to feature in a one-day series against Pakistan in the UAE just days after their ball-tampering suspensions are served, an Australian website www.cricket.com.au., reported on Mondady.

A five-match ODI series to be hosted by Pakistan has long been mooted for March, 2019 as teams look to fine-tune for next year's World Cup in England. It had been pencilled in between March 15 and 29, but new reports suggest Pakistan has proposed hosting Australia from March 31 to April 13.

The year-long suspensions of Smith and Warner expire on March 29.

If those dates are confirmed, it could see the banned duo return to the Australian team within 48 hours of their suspension lifting and the five matches could be valuable for Justin Langer to refine the reintegration of the players ahead of the World Cup.

"There's potential for that, but that's part of the process (to work through to reintegrate the banned players)," the website quoted Langer, as saying. "There's lots of conversations going on about what's best for our bowlers, for the guys returning, and we'll work through that.

"We'll get the best outcome for Australian cricket and for them personally, but there's been no decisions made at this stage," he added.

If the Pakistan series is played before the bans are lifted, Smith and Warner's would not be expected to play for Australia until the World Cup warm-up matches in England just prior to the tournament's start.

Smith and Warner are both due to play in next year's IPL however a number of Australia's leading ODI players have already opted out of the tournament given the tight timeframes and national commitments in the lead-up to the World Cup.

Players selected to meet Pakistan will not be released for the IPL by Cricket Australia until after that series, while a mandatory training camp has been scheduled for early May for the 15 players, who make the official World Cup squad.

Dates for the IPL have yet to be confirmed, but the crowded Calendar of national commitments would dramatically shorten the window Smith and Warner could feature for their IPL franchises.