Australia batsman Usman Khawaja has mounted a spirited defence of David Warner.
The pair are serving year-long bans for their part in the Cape Town incident in March and were barred from the 2018 IPL tournament.
Australia captain Steve Smith reached a career-high 939 rating points which are the sixth-best ever after Don Bradman (961), Len Hutton (945), Jack Hobbs and Ricky Ponting (both 942) and Peter May (941).
Former all-rounder Shane Watson has advised the Australian team to avoid getting into confrontations with Virat Kohli in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Steve Smith continued his outstanding Ashes form, striking an unbeaten 60 as Australia recovered from another failure by their openers to reach 170-3 at the close of the rain-affected first day of the fourth Test against England.
Ben Stokes played his first IPL match this season in Rajasthan Royals' win over SunRisers Hyderabad on Sunday.
Before the start of the series, Smith had warned that he has "found his hands", referring to the rhythm he was enjoying.
Australian Cricketers' Association (ACA) president Greg Dyer said the contrition of the players should be taken into account along with the precedent -- no player has previously received more than a one-match ban for the offence -- and a lack of due process in the Cricket Australia probe.
Australia declared their first innings on 473/9 and then reduced England to 17/2 after a near-flawless evening session to take charge of the day-night second Ashes Test on Friday.
The spotlight will be on Smith when Rajasthan Royals clash with Punjab in their IPL opener on Monday.
Steve Smith celebrated his return at the helm with a captain's innings that powered Rajasthan Royals to a five-wicket victory over a formidable Mumbai Indians.
Australia captain Steve Smith struck a cultured unbeaten century on Thursday to steer Australia to 299 for four wickets on the opening day of the third Test against India in Ranchi, signalling he has put the review controversy at Bengaluru behind him.
Ishant Sharma had mimicked Smith during the second Test of the four-match series at Bengaluru in 2017. It was a crucial match for India, as the side had lost the first Test at Pune.
Sam Konstas has vowed to take a more conventional approach than in his early Test appearances for Australia
Australia captain Steve Smith is to leave the Sri Lanka series mid-way and return to Australia early and rest up for the upcoming series against South Africa, with his deputy David Warner to take over captaincy of the visitors' one-day and T20 teams for the remainder of the tour. The news comes as Australia suffered an 82-run defeat in the second ODI against Sri Lanka to leave the series finely poised at 1-1.
Steve Smith's brilliant hundred and a clinical show by the bowlers at the death helped Australia beat England by 12 runs in their World Cup warm-up match, in Southampton.
Former Australia captain Steve Smith will return to cricket after the ball-tampering scandal as a marquee player at next month's Global T20 Canada league.
Australia's Steve Smith was out for 92 after resuming his innings having been forced to retire hurt when he was struck by a short ball from England fast bowler Jofra Archer on the fourth day of the second Ashes Test at Lord's on Saturday.
The Steve Smith led Australian cricket team, on Friday, sought the blessings of Tibetan spiritual guru, the Dalai Lama, at his McLeod Ganj monastery in Dharamsala.
Australian captain Pat Cummins expressed disappointment over the rain interruptions that prevented a decisive result.
21-year-old fast bowler Mayank Yadav announced himself on the biggest stage, the IPL, with a fiery debut for the Lucknow Super Giants.
Assistant coach Ricky Ponting, 10 rooms down the hotel corridor, has heard him shadow practising in England and coach Justin Langer said Smith hones his cover drives in shower.
Limping Bavuma, Markram lead South Africa to brink of history.
Australians asking fans at the ICC World Cup to stop booing David Warner and Steve Smith is "a bit strange" as their former coach Darren Lehmann had once told supporters to jeer England's Stuart Broad, the hosts' batsman Jonny Bairstow said.
Ganguly backed the under-fire former Australian captain after launching his autobiography titled 'A Century is Not Enough' in Mumbai on Wednesday.
IMAGES from Day 5 of the 3rd Test played at The Gabba in Brisbane on Wednesday.
Australia's top batsman Steve Smith says he is returning to the Big Bash League domestic tournament for the Sydney Sixers with an eye on next year's Twenty20 World Cup on home soil.
Australian pacer Pat Cummins will be another new captain in this year's IPL as he has been assigned to lead Sunrisers, who had secured the services of the 30-year-old for a whopping Rs 20.5 crore in last year's auction.
Australia's batting mainstay Steve Smith dared the lethal Indian fast bowling unit to bring on the short stuff in the four-match Test series starting next month.
Steve Smith was suspended for a year along with David Warner and Cameron Bancroft after being indicted in the sandpaper-gate during a Test match against South Africa in Cape Town. Smith was also banned from taking any leadership roles for two years - a suspension which has now expired.
With two days still to play, England are firm favourites to secure the win in Manchester, one that would seal victory in the five-match series with one test still to come.
Smith roared back to form as his 131, single-handedly steered Australia to 338
Pat Cummins has promised to inundate Indian batters with bouncers at "some point" of the third Test
With the world watching, Steve Smith crafted a sublime 144 to help Australia recover from 122 for eight to 284 all out of Day 1 of the first Ashes Test.
With the series locked at 1-1, Brisbane could well decide the course of the rubber and whether Rohit's men would continue to be the master of their fate in the ongoing World Test Championship.
Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne put on 116 for the third wicket before the latter was bowled by a beautiful delivery from Craig Overton for 67.
The opening day of the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground saw its share of thrilling moments, the stump mic provided a unique insight into the intensity within the Indian camp.
The 55-year-old Ramprakash, who played 52 Tests between 1991 and 2002, said instead of captaincy affecting Gill's performance, it has made him more focussed.
Australia will have to dust off the cobwebs but are still fancied to successfully defend their World Test Championship crown against equally ring-rusty South Africa in the final at Lord's.
Chappell said the upcoming five-match Test series in Australia "will be as much a battle of wits and endurance as it will be of skill, with each player needing to summon the drive and adaptability of their younger selves."
