Steve Smith might be serving a ban after the Sandpaper Gate and not a part of the Australia team that is playing an ODI series against South Africa, but the former Australia skipper did take strike for Sutherland against Manly-Warringah in the NSW T20 Premier Cricket tournament on Sunday. Out of action due to the ongoing 12-month ban, Smith has been known to be fine-tuning his skills and he entertained the crowd with an array of shots, but the one that will remain etched in the mind of the fans is the helicopter shot.

Considered an MS Dhoni special, Smith played the shot with exact precision as the ball flew into the stands. It might not have been a sell-out game, but those that did turn up to watch had their monies worth.

Steve Smith played some extraordinary shots in NSW T20 Premier Cricket today, but what about the catch to end his innings?! pic.twitter.com/r226rkfiVA

— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) November 4, 2018

Calls have been growing for Smith and Warner — who recently padded up in club cricket in Australia — to return to the international fold after a string of poor performances by the national team.

In the wake of a scathing report about the actions of Cricket Australia in the run-up to the March “sandpaper” incident that rocked the sport, the players’ union painted the three Test stars as victims of circumstance and said they should be free to take the field again at the top level.

But Cricket Australia will not reconsider reducing the ban on Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft in the ball-tampering case despite a series against a full-strength India awaiting them next month.

Smith and Warner were slapped with a one-year international ban while rookie Bancroft was suspended for nine months by Cricket Australia in March this year for their role in the ball-tampering scandal in South Africa.

The Australian Cricketers’ Association (ACA) termed the punishment on the trio “harsh” and called for a reconsideration but CA chairman David Peever remained adamant and turned down the plea.

First Published: Nov 04, 2018 15:24 IST