Less than four years post-Sandpapergate, Steve Smith has been returned to the captaincy of the Australian Test cricket team – albeit temporarily.

Cricket captain Pat Cummins has been ruled out of the second Ashes Test and ordered to self-isolate after being deemed a close contact of a COVID case, despite returning a negative PCR test.

The Test captain sat back-to-back with a COVID-infected person, while other Ashes squad teammates have been deemed casual contacts after also attending the restaurant.

Cricket Australia CEO Nick Hockley declared deputy captain Smith, who will fill in for the absent Cummins, has “absolutely” done his time for the ball-tampering scandal.

Through the appointment process “it became very clear how much Steve’s grown,” he told Chris O’Keefe.

“He’s learned a huge amount over the intervening period … we’re just very fortunate that we’ve got such an experienced Test captain to stand in.”

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