Banned duo set for whirlwind meeting

Steve Smith and David Warner's return to the national setup is set to last less than 24 hours as they link up with the Australia ODI squad en route to the Indian Premier League.

Smith and Warner are expected to head to Dubai later in the week to meet with the Australians, who will have recently arrived from the subcontinent following the fifth ODI in Delhi today.

It's set to be a quick stopover for the banned duo in the Emirates, one that could last as little as half a day, where they're expected to meet with the Australia squad members and coaching staff to discuss the upcoming World Cup as collective unit for the first time.

Only those members of the current ODI squad will meet with Smith and Warner. Test captain Tim Paine – who is playing JLT Sheffield Shield cricket with Tasmania – and fast bowlers Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood, recuperating from respective injuries, will not be involved, nor will Cameron Bancroft.

While it's looking like a whirlwind trip for Smith and Warner, if they didn't meet with the team in Dubai the earliest they would be with the national squad would be in May at the training camp in Brisbane with the World Cup less than a month away.

This is assuming that both players will be picked in Australia's World Cup squad, but after coach Justin Langer said it would be "crazy" not to pick them if they're fit and available given their impressive ODI resumes, it's likely they will be in the 15-man group that must be named by April 23.

The pair's 12-month bans for their role in the failed Cape Town ball-tampering plot expires in 15 days, and while the final two games of the five-match series against Pakistan fall after their suspensions lift, they were not considered for selection as they ease their way back into cricket after respective elbow surgeries.

Smith batted in the nets at Drummoyne Oval on Tuesday where the NSW Blues' Shield clash with Victoria is ongoing, facing fast bowling for the first time since his elbow surgery, and declared he would be at "full tilt" for the World Cup campaign.

"The elbow feels really good. This was the first time I've faced fast bowling in the nets and it's all coming along really nicely," Smith told reporters at the venue.

"I did some range hitting and I feel like I've got my full movement and range.

"I strap the elbow up when I'm batting, but otherwise it's all good, I'm out of the brace.

"I've been in the nets a few times now facing the 'wanger' (ball thrower) and it's all on track for me to play the first game of the IPL if I'm picked.

"The plan is that I'll gradually start throwing again during the IPL and I'll be full tilt by the time the World Cup rolls around."

Smith's Rajasthan Royals franchise play their first game on March 25, while Warner's Sunrisers Hyderabad play the previous day. Warner was yesterday batting at the Bupa National Cricket Centre in Brisbane.

Vice-captain Alex Carey says the meeting with Smith and Warner in Dubai will be informal but important as the two parties mix for the first time with the World Cup edging ever closer.

"It's a great opportunity for them to come back and be around the group on the way to the IPL," Carey said on Tuesday.

"They've been out of the mix for quite a little while now so to have them back in and catch up with all the guys and be part of the group is going to be fantastic for them.

"Obviously, they won't play over there (in the UAE against Pakistan) but to have them around the group … it's going to be a great opportunity for them and for us as players to get around them really.

"We'll probably sit down in the room and just talk cricket."