David Warner Returns to Cricket After Ball Tampering Ban

Darwin: Former Australia vice-captain David Warner has played his first cricket match in Australia since his ball-tampering suspension, scoring 36 in a one-day match in Darwin’s limited overs Strike League.

Warner played for the City Cyclones in the 50 overs match against the Northern Tide at the Marrara Cricket Ground. Australia batsman Cameron Bancroft, also suspended over the ball-tampering incident, played in the same competition on an adjacent ground.

Warner and Australia captain Steve Smith were suspended for 12 months and Bancroft for nine months for their involvement in the incident during a test against South Africa at Cape Town in March.

Their suspensions cover international matches and Australia’s main domestic competitions but the trio are free to play in independent leagues such as the Strike League. Warner and Smith recently played in a Twenty20 tournament in Canada.

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David Warner Said, 

“I’m here to play cricket and I love doing that,” he told reporters after he scored 36 runs from 32 balls for the City Cyclones in the Strike League.

“I wouldn’t be here today and continue to keep working my backside off to keep scoring runs for each team that I play for if I didn’t love it. I wouldn’t be here, I’d probably retire.”

Warner is also “100 percent” committed to returning to the national side once his ban ends, if he continues to score runs and merits selection.

“I’ll be putting my hand up as much as I can,” added the 31-year-old, who said during the height of the furore that he did not know if he had an international future.

“This (competition in Darwin) is just a little stepping stone to continue my progress to enable myself to keep scoring as many runs as I can for every single team I play for in the next eight months.”

“He (Bancroft) bought me breakfast this morning, I bought him dinner the other night and we’re good mates,” Warner said.

Warner played a bright innings yesterday before falling to a top-edged catch. He also took a catch in the field.

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