Sydney, Oct 7 (AP) Australia batsmen Steve Smith and David Warner will play their first domestic Sheffield Shield matches in almost two years when they turn out from Thursday for New South Wales against Queensland.

Neither player has appeared in a four-day match Shield since November, 2017 when both also appeared for New South Wales against Queensland.

The pair missed all of the 2018-19 season while serving 12-month suspensions for their role in the March, 2018 ball-tampering incident in South Africa.

They were named Monday to play for New South Wales in the first round of the 2019-2020 season along with Australia teammate Mitchell Starc.

Smith and Warner returned to test cricket during the Ashes series in England in August and September. (AP)

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)