DUBAI: The big-bucks Indian Premier League begins Saturday with disgraced Australian duo Steve Smith and David Warner back in action and looking to get some runs under their belts before the World Cup.
The timing of the Twenty20 extravaganza, tentatively scheduled to end on May 12, is awkward, however, wrapping up less than three weeks before the start of the 50-over World Cup in England and Wales on May 30.
Australia captain Smith and his deputy Warner were both given 12-month suspensions last March from state and international fixtures for their roles in an infamous ball-tampering scandal.
The bans did not include club games but IPL’s governing council decided not to allow the banned duo in the 11th edition of the T20 league last year in a bid to stay clear of any controversy.
Both played in the recent Bangladesh Premier League but both soon bowed out because of elbow injuries, and now they are keen to get noticed again by Australia’s selectors.
The lucrative league kicks off with three-time winners and defending champions Chennai Super Kings, captained by Mahendra Singh Dhoni, hosting Virat Kohli’s Royal Challengers Bangalore on Saturday.
Warner, now hipster-bearded, is expected to feature for Sunrisers Hyderabad along with Afghan spin sensation Rashid Khan and New Zealand’s Kane Williamson against Kolkata Knight Riders on Sunday.
Smith is likely to be in action for Rajasthan Royals, along with England’s Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler, on Monday against Delhi Capitals.
Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting said that although their bans will expire before the World Cup, winning back their places is not a given, particularly given Australia’s blistering recent series victory in India in their absence.
“Those guys have not played any high-level cricket for a long time,” Ponting told the Times of India newspaper, saying Smith and Warner “still have to prove they are the best players”.
“If they don’t have a good IPL, then there will be a few more question marks regarding their names,” said Ponting, who is the head coach for IPL side Delhi Capitals.
