Pat Cummins, who will miss IND vs AUS 4th Test, had once missed presence of Steve Smith and David Warner during their international bans

Australian batters Steve Smith and David Warner were banned for one year by Cricket Australia after their involvement in the sandpaper gate against South Africa in 2018. Along with Warner and Smith, batter Cameron Bancroft was also banned, and it was certainly one of the biggest controversies in Australian cricket.

During the third Test of the four-match series between both sides in Cape Town in 2018, Bancroft was seen using sandpaper on the pitch to change the conditions of the ball. This incident created a stir in the cricketing fraternity, and later on, it was revealed that the leadership unit was aware of the attempt.

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Warner and Smith were handed a fine of one year each, whereas Bancroft was handed a ban of nine months. During the series, Warner got involved in a fight with South African wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock, and he was fined for the same.

Pat Cummins once missed presence of Steve Smith and David Warner during their international bans

After the bans on Warner and Smith, the whole leadership unit changed. Wicket-keeper Tim Paine was appointed as the new captain of the side, whereas Justin Langer came in as the head coach. Current Australian Test & ODI Pat Cummins had once expressed how he missed the presence of both of them in the dressing room.

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Cummins had said that he felt really bad for both of them and the way some headlines were written about them in the news portals. He insisted that the ban was quite harsh and was delighted that they were allowed to play in the Global Canada League.

“I’d love to see it. I’m not sure how realistic it is, but as a player I’d love to have them in any team I’m in … and as a fan I’d love to see it,” he told AAP.

“It’s so great to see them back playing in Canada. It’s only been a couple of months since South Africa, but it feels like it’s been about five years they haven’t played.”

Cummins will miss the fourth Test of the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Ahmedabad. He is currently in Australia to care of his mother, who is under palliative care.

Steve Smith and David Warner made their return in 2019 World Cup

Smith and Warner made their official return to the Australian team in the 2019 World Cup opener against Afghanistan. Warner had a tournament to remember, where he finished as the second-highest run-scorer of the tournament with 647 runs at 71.88 with the help of 3 centuries and 3 half-centuries.