Disgraced Australian trio set to be 'eased back' into team

MELBOURNE: First there was the television commercial, in which a tearful Steve Smith tugged at the heartstrings of his countrymen by revealing his long-drawn ordeal since being banned for one year for his role in the ‘Sandpapergate’ scandal in the Cape Town Test earlier this year.
This was followed by a full-fledged press conference at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) on Friday where Smith talked about how he overcame the “dark days” with the help of his friends and family members and his keenness to get back into the Australian team.Smith’s teammate Cameron Bancroft, who copped a nine-month ban that ends later this month, has now followed suit. In a letter addressed to himself — published in a local newspaper on Saturday — Bancroft has revealed how he took to teaching yoga and doing community service after he was suspended over the ball-tampering incident in South Africa in March.
After missing Western Australia’s pre-season trip to Brisbane, Bancroft feared he may never play cricket again. The 26-year-old admitted that he had even considered spending rest of his life teaching yoga and helping others and had taken a training course in September. “You learn about anatomy, how to teach poses, alignment, the philosophy but most importantly, you learn that you can use your life to a greater purpose,” wrote Bancroft, whose ban ends on December 29.
His love for playing cricket was rekindled when he played a few tough matches for Willetton District Cricket Club in Premier Cricket. “You wear a blue cap, it won’t be a Baggy Green, but the enjoyment is the same. You love the game. That’s the heart of all passion. Cricket is still well and truly a part of who you are,” Bancroft wrote.
Meanwhile, the Australian team management has started the process of integrating the disgraced trio of Smith, Bancroft and David Warner into the side when their ban ends.
Coach Justin Langer, who had met Warner earlier, caught up with him on Monday and is also reportedly in touch with Bancroft. He is of the opinion that the trio should be gradually eased back into the fold rather than being inducted straight away.
“There’s going to be a process for the boys to come back and it is really important we start working on that process from now,” Langer told Cricket Australia’s official website. “We can’t get to the point (of their bans expiring) and just say, ‘Right, they’re back’. It’s not fair on them, it’s not fair on the team, it’s not fair on everyone,” Langer added.
The only fear is when Smith, Warner and Bancroft finally return to the team fold, they may find it difficult to adjust to the new environment in the Australian dressing room, where the mantra these days is: “You don’t need to cheat, or be mean, to win.”