Australian head coach Justin Langer said that the banned trio of Steve Smith, David Warner, and Cameron Bancroft would be welcome to the national squad provided the ‘environment’ is alright.
“If our environment’s right and they’re playing well, there’s no reason they shouldn’t be welcomed back in to help us win the World Cup and the Ashes next summer,” said Langer, as quoted by the podcast The Howie Games.
“If we can have an environment of great young leaders and welcome those guys back, we can be a real force and perhaps a team that’s smiling a lot more than the team was before it happened,” he added.
The 47-year old further had words of praise for Smith and said that he is one of the most dedicated cricketers today.
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“Steve Smith is one of the nicest people you will ever meet in your life. He’s also a complete cricket tragic. He’s a ripping young bloke. And what a player! As committed to batting and being at as anyone you’ll ever meet,” Langer further explained.
The former Australian opener further stated that Cameron Bancroft is a thorough professional, calling the right-hander the, “heartbeat” of the Australian team.
“Cameron is as elite a professional as anyone I’ve ever met. He was the heartbeat of Western Australia and from all accounts, (and) talking to Darren Lehmann, he was the heartbeat of the Australian team,” he said.
While commenting on Warner, Langer said that the left-hander would be up for every single game irrespective of the format.
“He’d played every single game of cricket. He’d play Test, ODI, T20, IPL, cricket all year round. He was being hailed as a great leader,” he said.
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