Tainted Australian cricketers may play the Sheffield Shield this season

Australian cricket hasn’t been in the greatest of shapes in recent times. The national team is standing on the brink of a series whitewash versus England. They didn’t have a couple of key stars in David Warner and Steve Smith owing to the ball-tampering fiasco in South Africa back in March. They were handed a ban of one year by Cricket Australia (CA), then headed by James Sutherland.

However, the duo could make a comeback in the upcoming domestic fixtures, albeit chances are bleak. The country’s domestic cricketing season starts on September 16 and will continue till April. The CA has recently released the dates for its upcoming summer, which spans for more than six months, which also means an expansion of the prestigious the Big Bash League (BBL).

Warner and Smith’s bleak, but realistic chance

The second half of the first class season will begin on February 23, 2019, and the Shield Final starts on March 28. The halves have been created to accommodate the super-sized BBL. Most importantly, March 28 is also the date when the one-year ban of Smith and Warner ends. Both play for the New South Wales Blues and the duo can technically be picked by the management, provided the team qualifies.

The tainted cricketers can also be picked for their respective teams in the IPL where they can hone their skills and stake their claim for a place in the 2019 Cricket World Cup squad. Smith and Warner have been out of the sport for quite a while now. Nevertheless, they will soon be returning to cricket. The inaugural edition of the Global T20 Canada will commence from the end of this month.

Both the batsmen will take part in the tournament. While Smith was roped in by the Toronto Nationals, Warner will represent the Winnipeg Hawks. Warner will also make his debut for the St Lucia Stars in the upcoming Caribbean Premier League which starts this August.

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