Three years after his ignominious exit as Australia's captain in the wake of the ball-tampering scandal, Steve Smith has said he is keen and ready to lead the national side again if an opportunity came his way.
The WAGs stood in the stands soaking in the opening day's action.
Steve Smith has scored almost half of Australia's runs himself in the first Ashes Test at Edgbaston; how he performs on day four is likely to have a big say in who gains the early advantage in the series.
England all-rounder Moeen Ali has no sympathy for Australia's banned cricketers and finds the whole team "rude".
Australia recalled wicketkeeper Tim Paine for the first time in seven years in a selection bombshell while dropping opening batsman Matt Renshaw in a surprising Ashes squad for the series against England.
The same charge was levelled against Australia batsman Cameron Bancroft who was caught on camera rubbing a piece of sandpaper on the ball against South Africa in March.
The former Australia captain declined to name the players involved but reiterated that he had told them, "I don't want to know about it", and then walked away.
Both Smith and Warner were also banned from playing the Indian Premier League this year.
Rohit Sharma, who said images of the former Australia skipper being escorted at Johannesburg airport and his tearful media conference in Sydney 'resonated' with him.
The former Test batsman clearly played a part in trying to cover up the cheating by getting word to Bancroft that his use of some tape to try and scuff up one side of the ball had been spotted by the television cameras.
Cameron Bancroft hiding a yellow strip of sandpaper in his pants easily fits into one of the many bizarre ball-tampering tactics
The International Cricket Council asked an internal panel to suggest harsher punishment for ball-tampering and other misbehaviour by players in its bid to establish a "culture of respect".
Failing to put up any fight against a rampaging Australia A, India A suffered a 10-wicket loss in the second unofficial Test to go down 0-1 in the two-match series on Saturday.
How the world reacted to Smith, Bancroft and Lehmann
Factbox on the five-Test Ashes series between England and Australia
The selection of opener Cameron Bancroft, wicketkeeper Tim Paine and number six Shaun Marsh all looked to have backfired early in the series-opener but all three finished strongly in Brisbane to help Australia to victory and boost their confidence ahead of the second test in Adelaide starting on Saturday.
Wednesday's Twenty20 International in Brisbane will be followed by matches at Melbourne and Sydney before the four-Test series gets underway in Adelaide on December 6.
Jonny Bairstow kept his head with a fine century for England but Steve Smith showed a captain's poise to guide Australia to 203 for three at the close of day two of the third Ashes Test on Friday.
Australia cricket coach Darren Lehmann said on Thursday he will step down after this week's Test match against South Africa, partly because of abuse his family received over a ball-tampering scandal that has rocked the sport.
The announcement comes in the wake of the ball-tampering scandal in Cape Town, which resulted in Cricket Australia handing out bans to sacked Australia captain Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft.
Opening batsman David Warner enjoyed a gift-wrapped century after being reprieved on 99 as Australia endured a meandering first day of the Boxing Day Test against England on Tuesday.
Disgraced former Australia captain Steve Smith has tied up with the local arm of Britain's Vodafone Group in an advertising campaign that leverages the nation's ball-tampering shame for marketing purposes.
Steve Smith is back in the Test squad along with David Warner and Cameron Bancroft, the other two players hit with long bans for their involvement in the Cape Town scandal in March, 2018.
Cricket Australia has come under pressure from the Australian Cricketers' Association (ACA) to end the bans following the release of the Longstaff review.
IMAGES from Day 4 of the 3rd Test played between South Africa and Australia in Cape Town on Sunday
Indian Premier League chairman Rajeev Shukla said Rajasthan Royals will wait and see what sanctions the ICC imposes on Steve Smith before taking a call on his future as the franchise's captain, following a ball tampering scandal that prompted, among others, even Australia's prime minister to react.
'It's a stain on the game we all love and I have loved since I was a boy'
Some Australian players want a 'rogue' David Warner out of the team hotel in South Africa
According to cricket.com.au: "Renshaw will fly to Johannesburg this evening to join the under siege tourists ahead of Friday's final Test against South Africa in the wake of the Cape Town ball-tampering crisis."
A major shift in 'attitude and culture' is needed in cricket in the wake of the Australian ball-tampering saga that has engulfed the sport, according to the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC).
Ali was dropped after a poor performance in the opening Test in Edgbaston
Batsman Nic Maddinson has withdrawn from Australia A's match against Pakistan on mental health grounds, Cricket Australia said on Saturday.
Images from Day 2 of the 2nd Ashes Test played at Lord's Cricket Ground, London, on Thursday.
Siddle said he was keen to see his friends back on the field but that by serving their bans in full they would be helping clean up the game.
Cricket Australia has appointed an ethics guru to review the sport's culture in the wake of the cheating scandal that has rocked "the gentleman's game".
Micheal Clarke feels the need for the team to rebuild quickly for the tough series against India later this year.
A pulsating Ashes opener that had promised a grandstand finish will more than likely end early with a handsome win to Australia after Steve Smith's side pushed within 56 runs of victory at the close of day four on Sunday.
Reaction after Cricket Australia (CA) banned sacked captain Steve Smith and vice-captain David Warner for 12 months and opening batsman Cameron Bancroft for nine months for their roles in the ball-tampering scandal in Cape Town.
'I take full responsibility ... There was a failure of leadership, of my leadership. I'll do everything I can to make up for my mistake and the damage it's caused.'
The incident has been met with astonishment in Australia, with the protagonists -- Smith, his vice captain David Warner and opening batsman Cameron Bancroft -- lambasted in the media under headlines almost universally trumpeting the word "Shame".
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