By Lawrence Booth for the Daily Mail
Published: 22:16 GMT, 22 March 2019 | Updated: 09:01 GMT, 23 March 2019
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If the words coming out of the Australian camp are to be believed, the return to civilised society of Steve Smith and David Warner will leave barely a dry eye in the house.
Both men will appear during the first three days of this year’s IPL, which begins on Saturday. But Australian cricket has a more symbolic date in mind.
On March 29, the pair are eligible once more to represent their country, after a year spent playing franchise cricket and repenting for their part in the sandpaper scandal in Cape Town.
Steve Smith and David Warner (above) can play in the IPL, which starts on Saturday
But while Cameron Bancroft, who was banned for nine months, was the one who tried to rough up the ball and dispose of the evidence down his trousers, it is Smith and Warner who have embodied Australian cricket’s journey from all manner of hell and damnation towards some sort of forgiveness.
At a meeting with team-mates this week in Dubai, Warner spoke of ‘open arms and lots of big hugs and cuddles’. There is relief in the Australian dressing room that their two best batsmen are back in plenty of time for the World Cup and the Ashes — and possibly some apprehension, too.
Sandpapergate is gone, but it will not be easily forgotten.
Warner was banned for one year by Cricket Australia following the ball tampering scandal
The two prodigal sons, plus coach Justin Langer, are talking a good game. Warner declared: ‘It’s like we didn’t really leave.’ Smith added: ‘Everything is on the right track.’ And according to the perennially upbeat Langer: ‘It’s like two brothers coming back home.’
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