Former Australian wicketkeeper-batsman Adam Gilchrist believes the presently suspended Australian captain Steven Smith will not only return to the international cricket also will return to the captaincy in the national team.

Due to involving in the ball-tampering scandal along with the other two cricketers (the vice-captain David Warner and the opening batsman Cameron Bancroft) during the Cape Town Test against the hosts South Africa in this March, the Australian captain Steven Smith has faced a one-year ban from cricket by the Cricket Australia (CA). Apart from that, Smith will have to wait one more year to be available for the leadership role.

As Smith is currently 29-year-old, Gilchrist believes Smith has enough time to return to the captaincy role for the national side.

According to Fox Sports, Gilchrist said, “I don’t think it’s out of the question that Steve Smith could possibly captain Australia again one day. He’s young enough and if he wants to play long enough, there’s every chance … Wouldn’t that be an amazing story of redemption.”

Also read: Justin Langer strongly believes Smith and Warner can return to the Australian squad

Gilly further added, “We all understood that he’s shown his remorse and his disappointment in himself and the damage that came out of that incident … Who knows down the track but it’s a long way off.”

Prior to that suspension, Smith was the captain of Australian cricket team. Since his first international captaincy in 2014, Smith led the national side in 93 international matches – 34 Tests, 51 ODIs and 8 T20Is (last played in 2016). Out of those matches, Australia won a total 47 matches (18 in Tests, 25 in ODIs and 4 in T20Is) and lost a total of 37 matches (10 in Tests, 23 in ODIs and 4 in T20Is).

It is not the first time when Smith is getting support to return to international cricket. Many worldwide experts, former cricketers and the national teammates have backed Smith and other two suspended cricketers.