Pat Cummins offers an insight into Steve Smith's mindset following players' union failed bid to cut ball-tampering suspensions
Smith 'over it' and 'just wants to play'
Pat Cummins says exiled former Test captain Steve Smith just wants to play cricket after he was left feeling "pretty disappointed" by events surrounding the unsuccessful bid by the players' union to get bans reduced by Cricket Australia.
In the wake of CA's independent cultural review findings, the Australian Cricketers' Association submitted a request to the CA Board to reduce the bans handed down to Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft for their involvement in the Cape Town ball-tampering incident.
The submission was seriously considered but ultimately rejected by the CA Board, meaning the three players will have to serve their full suspensions.
Despite being ineligible to play for Australia or in Australia's top-flight domestic competitions, the three players have been playing Premier Cricket, various global T20 tournaments and training with their state teams, where Smith was Thursday alongside Cummins at Moore Park.
While Cummins said Smith is in good spirits, he added the 29-year-old was sick of the media attention that came with the ACA's decision to review the sanctions delivered to the banned players.
"I think he's pretty disappointed," Cummins said.
"I think he was hopeful of that getting lifted.
"But to be honest I think he's just over it – all the speculation and talk. He's just over it. He wants to play some cricket.
"There's some good T20 comps around the world coming up that hopefully he'll go and play.
"I think he's sick of all the talk. He said he's in a really good place.
"He's happy, he's playing – obviously he'd love to be playing the Tests and everything else coming up.
"But he's just ready to get over it."
Smith is set to continue to play for NSW Premier Cricket side Sutherland until mid-February when he heads to the UAE for the Pakistan Super League.
Smith was selected at No.2 – behind Proteas legend AB de Villiers – in this week’s draft by an unnamed 'Sixth Team' and will play alongside compatriot Dan Christian.
The 2019 PSL finishes on March 17, 12 days before his year-long ban ends.