Door ajar for Smith, Warner Shield returns

A longer than normal domestic schedule has left the door slightly ajar for Steve Smith and David Warner to make a comeback to cricket this coming Australian season.

Cricket Australia on Thursday unveiled its schedule for the upcoming 'summer' that now spans more than six months, reflecting an expanded KFC Big Bash League.

The JLT One-Day cup starts in Townsville on September 16 and the JLT Sheffield Shield final begins the following year on March 28, which incidentally is the date that Smith and Warner's one-year bans for their roles in the Cape Town ball-tampering scandal come to an end.

It means if NSW reach the Shield final, the duo could be picked by state selectors to make their return to Australian domestic cricket in the season finale.

Last season's Shield final was played on March 23-27 so it was previously thought that the banned batsmen won't be able to return until after the Australian summer.

While Blues selectors would be tempted to rush the pair straight back into their side should they reach the decider, both batsmen - as talented as they are - would be well short of match practice at first-class level and would replace two incumbents who had helped steer NSW into the final.

Smith and Warner will play grade cricket in Sydney over the summer, and continue to be wooed by Twenty20 leagues around the world including South Africa, but would understandably be rusty early in their comebacks.

The Blues would also need to reverse recent form to even reach the season decider; they were winless after the BBL break last season and finished second last, and they have not played in a Shield final since 2014.

A turbulent off-season has seen former Test batsman Phil Jaques replace Trent Johnston as coach, while left-hander Nic Maddinson lost his contract.

If the Blues don't reach the Shield final, Smith and Warner will likely look to play in the Indian Premier League in April-May in order to find form ahead of Australia's World Cup defence in the UK, which will be followed by an Ashes series.

Former Test batsman Mike Hussey this week told cricket.com.au he believes Smith and Warner should return to Australia's side for the World Cup, which starts just two months after the bans end, as long as they "tick all the boxes" during their suspensions.

"It's hard to say so far out, but the quality of player they are you probably would say they are (walk-up selections)," Hussey said on this week’s episode of The Unplayable Podcast.

"As long as they do everything right in the lead up; they’re in good touch skills-wise, they’re in good fitness, no injury concerns and they’ve done all the right things preparation-wise and behavioural-wise as well, then you’d have to think they’d come straight back in because they’re such quality players.

"They’ve been quality players for such a long period of time, they’ve had success at the highest level and are important players for Australia.

"I think they probably do (return) as long as they tick all the boxes along the way."

Both Smith and Warner will make their returns later this month in the unlikely setting of Toronto in Canada's inaugural Global T20 tournament.

Warner will then briefly join Cameron Bancroft, the third member of the tampering trio whose nine-month ban expires in December, in Darwin for the NT Strike League.

He'll then make his Caribbean Premier League debut in early August having been signed as D'Arcy Short's replacement at the St Lucia Stars.

Qantas tours of the UK and Zimbabwe

Australia ODI squad: Tim Paine (c), Aaron Finch (vc), Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Travis Head, Nathan Lyon, Glenn Maxwell, Shaun Marsh, Michael Neser, Jhye Richardson, Kane Richardson, D’Arcy Short, Billy Stanlake, Marcus Stoinis, Andrew Tye

England ODI squad: Eoin Morgan (c), Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Jake Ball, Sam Billings, Jos Buttler, Sam Curran, Tom Curran, Alex Hales, Craig Overton, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, David Willey, Mark Wood

Australia T20 squad: Aaron Finch (c), Alex Carey (vc), Ashton Agar, Travis Head, Nic Maddinson, Glenn Maxwell, Jhye Richardson, Kane Richardson, D’Arcy Short, Billy Stanlake, Marcus Stoinis, Mitchell Swepson, Andrew Tye, Jack Wildermuth

England T20 squad: Eoin Morgan (c), Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Jake Ball, Jos Buttler, Sam Curran, Tom Curran, Alex Hales, Chris Jordan, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, David Willey

Qantas Tour of the UK

June 7: Australia beat Sussex by 57 runs at Hove

June 9: Australia beat Middlesex by 101 runs at Lord's

June 13: England won by three wickets at The Oval

June 16: England won by 38 runs in Cardiff

June 19: England won by 242 runs at Trent Bridge

June 21: England won by six wickets in Durham

June 24: Fifth ODI, Old Trafford

June 27: Only T20, Edgbaston (D/N)

Qantas T20I tri-series Tour of Zimbabwe

July 1: Zimbabwe vs Pakistan

July 2: Pakistan vs Australia

July 3: Australia vs Zimbabwe

July 4: Zimbabwe vs Pakistan

July 5: Pakistan vs Australia

July 6: Australia vs Zimbabwe

July 8: Final