BANNED Australia trio Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft are wanted by Surrey despite their ball-tampering scandal.
Warner and Smith were banned for a year, with Bancroft just nine months for the roles in the incident in South Africa.
With the three stars set to miss out on plenty of cricket in that time, Surrey coach – and former Australia one-day star and batting coach – Michael Di Venuto is keen to bring them to England.
Di Venuto said: “From an Australian perspective, it is probably important that they play a bit of cricket at some stage.
“I don’t know if they are allowed to play in this competition. I know what it states in their sanctions that they can’t play domestic cricket in Australia.
“So, if they are in the right mental state to play cricket – and the ECB will have to allow it to start with – then we’d be mad not to look at some of the world’s best players potentially playing.”
Surrey were set to welcome Mitchell Marsh as their overseas star for the second-half of the season – but he is now unavailable following ankle surgery.
South Africa opener Dean Elgar is already on the books for April and May as the one permitted overseas player.
SMITH BANNED Australian cricket ball tampering scandal: Steve Smith banned and Cameron Bancroft fined after cheating
The county have also signed South Africa star Morne Morkel – who recently called time on his glittering Test career.
However, Surrey have done so on a Kolpak basis and therefore doesn’t count as an overseas player – meaning one of Smith, Warner of Bancroft could be signed.
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Bancroft was one player set to play county cricket this season, but had his contract with Somerset torn up following the scandal earlier this year.
On the banned trio, Di Venuto added: “There has been a real assassination of their characters. They are good people who have made mistakes.
“They are quality people who I have spent a lot of time with.
“It was tough to watch and see them treated as criminals for something that goes on in sport.”
Meanwhile, Australia are now expected to appoint former opening batsman Justin Langer as head coach.
Langer will replace Darren Lehmann, who stood down as leader of the Test squad in March amidst the ball-tampering scandal.
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