Disgraced former Australian skipper Steve Smith has made a smashing return as he played his first game in the country after the massive ball-tampering incident.
The 29-year-old played an impressive knock of 85 runs off 92 balls for Sutherland in NSW Premier Cricket tournament at the Glenn McGrath Oval Cricket Ground on Saturday.
Reflecting on Smith's innings, his teammate Shane Watson said that it was great watching him play. The kind of support he got from the spectators is a reassurance that everybody is with him, he continued.
"It's awesome to see him playing. I'd prefer him to be playing for Australia, but the support that he got, the warm applause when he scored runs and also when he got out shows that everyone is supporting him," cricket.com.au quoted Smith, as saying.
"The support that he's got today would just reassure (to him) that everything's OK. People make mistakes and people do forgive and forgive very quickly as well. It was, after all, that's happened, a regular day of cricket for Smith," he added.
Meanwhile, David Warner, who is playing in the same tournament, also made an impressive return by playing a storming innings of 155 runs against St George at the Coogee Oval Sports Ground.
In March, Smith, and Warner were handed a one-year ban by the Cricket Australia following a massive ball-tampering scandal that took place during the third Test match of the four-match series against South Africa at Newlands.
