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Paine: Warner will be welcomed back by Aussies

Cape Town - Australia's Tim Paine says that David Warner, as well as Steve Smith and Cameron Bancroft, will be welcomed back into the national set-up when they have completed their respective bans for ball-tampering.

Warner and Smith were banned for a year each for their involvement in the infamous ball-tampering scandal that rocked the Newlands Test against the Proteas in March. Bancroft, the man who was caught working on the ball with a piece of sandpaper, was banned for nine months. 

Since then, Australia cricket has been on the ropes with the public furious. 

Warner, in particular, has come in for some heavy abuse and there were reports that he had fallen out with members of the Australia set-up. 

But Paine, who has been named Australia's new skipper, denies any such fallout and confirmed that, when the time comes, Warner will be welcomed back into the side. 

"No, he wasn't actually," Paine told reporters in Hobart on Thursday, as quoted by Cricinfo, when asked if Warner had been ostracised.

"Certainly the week in South Africa was very difficult and everyone said that, but guys in the team get along well and David is a respected member.

"For as long as I've been around the team, he's been really well-liked and really well-received by his teammates. Within our team, he's someone with that energy and that competitiveness who we love playing with.

"All three are certainly going to be welcomed back into our team, if they're prepared to toe the line with our new brand of cricket, which I know they will.

"I know they'll all do the right thing and score enough runs to be back in our side and they'll be certainly be welcomed back."

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