Australia’s coach said that the team will use the experience of Smith and Warner at the World Cup as they return to the international stage

Daniel Brettig03-May-2019If arrogance was a recent hallmark of Australia’s cricketers and the governing body that groomed them, then humility will be critical to Steven Smith and David Warner’s return to international ranks a year after the Newlands scandal brought them tumbling down from the rarified positions of captain and deputy at the vanguard of the national team.Justin Langer, Australia’s coach, has bluntly acknowledged that the development of humility will be vital to Smith and Warner’s successful return to a team that had only recently grown into a winning combination without them. Neither are permitted to be formal leaders – Smith for another year, Warner for life – and the transition will take some careful work on both sides.Already, there has been considerable work done through the leadership consulting of Tim Ford, formerly of Heidrick and Struggles, the recruiting and leadership firm deeply involved in the 2011 Argus review of Australian team performance. And from now there will be adjustment, particularly for Smith, from captain to foot soldier; even if the Cricket Australia contracts granted to him and Warner returned them to the top five richest members of the national squad.”We’ll draw on their experience on and off the field and it will be crazy not to. There’s certainly going to be challenges for both of them though,” Langer said in Brisbane. “You’ve come from a titled position of captain and then you’re not, then there’s going to be a certain degree of humility that comes from that. One of our really strong values is humility, so it’ll be a great opportunity for them to develop that, but their leadership’s going to be crucial for us to win on the field and win off the field, so we’re looking forward to them developing that.ALSO READ: Australia’s top three, Smith’s fielding, Nicholls’ new role: Brisbane talking points”It’s going to be a huge opportunity for him [Smith] to share with the group what he’s learned, on and off the cricket field. He’s an all-time great player so we would be absolutely crazy not to draw on that, and we will draw on it, as we do with the way Davey plays his cricket, the way he runs between the wickets, his body language on the field. Those things epitomise great players and great Australian cricket teams. We’ll use that leadership and use it on and off the field.”We’ve had a very humbling experience and we brought it on ourselves. I still have that vision of Steve almost being frog-marched out of South Africa, we saw some sad vision 12 months ago to some really positive, happy vision of where were at now. Every opportunity we get to celebrate Australian cricket and to make Australians proud of us again, every opportunity it important for us.”The process of reintegration has not necessarily progressed in a smooth or linear manner. Some players, it is said, were intimidated by the presence of the still suspended Smith and Warner in their midst during the UAE tour. There was nervousness, too, about who would have to make way for them – Peter Handscomb and Ashton Turner paid a hefty price despite recent performances, leaving the onus on Smith and Warner to ensure they contribute to an Australian team faring rather better in ODI matches now than when both were previously available.Langer, who is known to have mulled over how Warner and Smith might be returned to the team virtually from the first month of his coaching tenure, described the initial Brisbane meeting as a “check-in” to remind all and sundry of values such as the aforementioned humility. “With all values they’re just words on a bit of paper unless you live them,” he said. “It’s just another little check in yesterday, so it was really good, worthwhile.David Warner chats with Greg Chappell•Getty Images”There’s no tension, honestly. We’re so excited to have the boys back, we’re just excited about playing cricket. There’s been a big build up to it, it’s a bit like facing fast bowling, you worry about it until you get out there and it’s not as bad as you thought it was. They came to Dubai, it was great, they’re back in the team now, they’ve been selected, which is brilliant, I just can’t wait to see us playing cricket.”The composition of the Australian team, particularly in terms of batting, now leans heavily on a top order capable of making hundreds as a platform for the likes of Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis to tee off in the later overs. Langer suggested that Smith may find himself batting lower in the order to accommodate the others, given how unlikely it is to see Shaun Marsh, Usman Khawaja, captain Aaron Finch or Warner batting any lower than No. 4.”It’s awesome to have options,” Langer said. “The way Usman and Finchy have batted together in the Test matches they played together in the UAE plus what they did in the last two one-day series is brilliant. Dave Warner’s a world-class opening batsman, Shaun Marsh’s been brilliant at No. 3, good at No. 4, Steve Smith can probably bat where he likes or wherever he is in the side, so it’s really exciting to have those five hundred makers at our disposal really.ALSO READ: ‘It’s all rosy’ for Australia as Warner, Smith rejoin”We’ve had so much success, we’ve had such a proud history Australian cricket and we know what works and we just had to keep trusting that. There was a lot of talk about strike rates and scoring, how many runs you’ve got to score, but we saw in India when the games allow you score big scores. You play in different grounds around England, we’ll score big scores because we’ve got hundred makers, really talented finishers, we’re playing spin much better and we’ve worked really hard on playing spin, so the game hasn’t changed too much.”As for the team’s collective behaviour, in the same week the former assistant coach David Saker insisted the former coaching regime led by Darren Lehmann had “never, ever” encouraged cheating in terms of trying to generate reverse swing, Langer noted a clean slate in terms of the ICC code of conduct since Newlands. This in itself can now be seen as equally important to Australia as the ICC’s other metric – the international rankings, which have Australia down at No. 5 in both Tests and ODIs.”Hopefully we’ve shown over the last 12 months,” Langer said when asked about regaining Australia’s respect. “Our behaviours on and off the field, we’ve played good cricket, we’ve won and lost with respect, which is important. We had a tough summer, no doubting that, but the boys still competed really hard. I think it’s the first time in a very long time we’ve had zero code of conduct [breaches] in the last 12 months, which is an awesome achievement by the players.”I said 12 months ago I can say all the words in the world, we can say all the words, we can talk as much as we want, [it’s] our actions. It’ll be a million different behaviours, a million different actions which will earn back the respect. We actually can’t control that, but what we can control is doing the right things and hopefully we’ve done that for the last 12 months.”