Smith and Warner's return will benefit youngsters, says Josh Hazlewood
Australian senior cricketers Steve Smith and David Warner are expected to make a return to international cricket after the completion of their ban on March 29. The two cricketers were banned for 12 months by Cricket Australia for their involvement in a ball-tampering scandal against South Africa last year. And pacer Josh Hazlewood believes that their return will help the youngsters in the side.
In the absence of these two senior cricketers, Australia endured a difficult campaign across formats. The team's run in ODIs was abysmal. Further, Australia missed the services of the two in the Test series against India at home, which they lost by a 1-2 margin. Hazlewood felt that with no senior batsmen in the side, the youngsters were only learning from the coaches.
"It's probably been the first time when you've had the top six with no real senior batsmen to feed off, I guess, around training and games, so they [the newcomers] have had to do all their learning from the coaches," Hazlewood said to ESPN.
Hazlewood believes that the youngsters will learn after spending time with these two star players. "It's just so important to have those couple of senior guys when you bring those couple of young guys into the top six to learn from. You just can't teach some things as coaches, you have to learn out in the middle batting with a senior person," he added.
Smith and Warner are expected to bring the X-factor in the ICC World Cup, which would be followed by the Ashes. Australian fans will hope that the two will settle down quickly and bring the solidity the Aussies need. Both Warner and Smith will look to get going in the IPL to bolster their confidence. Hazlewood feels they will be ready when called upon.
After having undergone a minor elbow surgery, Warner is expected to be a part of the ODI squad against Pakistan. He could play two matches once his ban ends on March 29, before participating in the IPL. Smith too had a successful elbow surgery and is on track to participate in the World Cup 2019. Notably, Smith is currently wearing a brace.
