Former Windies skipper Darren Sammy is excited to play along with Steve Smith during the inaugural edition of the Global T20 Canada league despite the fact that the former Australian skipper s banned from playing for his own country following a ball-tampering scandal.

During a telephonic interview on Monday, Smith said, “We all have done our fair share of mistakes in life, not just sports but in general. Obviously, Steve Smith is an amazing cricketer, someone who I would have on my team any day.”

Smith’s comeback to the cricketing field will begin as a member of the Toronto Nationals, who picked the 29-year-old Australian in the second round of a draft held last week ahead of the June 28-July 15 tournaments in Toronto.

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Talking about his team, Sammy said, “Obviously as captain of a national team you have certain responsibilities that you have to own up to for the team, and I was commended by his efforts and he has taken responsibility for his actions on the field. I am just happy to have a player of such caliber on my team. He has dealt with his punishment for what happened in South Africa.”

While Smith and his role in the ball-tampering scandal will be a hot topic when he faces the media in Canada, Sammy said he had no plans to bring up the issue with his new teammate. He said, “All I want is his experience as a leader, his experience as a T20 player and his performances on the field that could help Toronto Nationals be a force to be reckoned with.”

Global T20 Canada Tournament Director Jason Harper also revealed that inclusion of Steve has already generated plenty of media attention for the tournament and that there was never a moment of hesitation to include a player of his talent. He said, “Steve Smith is a world-class player. We are happy to have him. This is world-class talent at its best. There is no way we would turn away Steve Smith when the phones open. No way. There is no way. He is welcome.”