Banned David Warner and Steve Smith make low-scoring BPL debut

Comilla Victorians captain Steven Smith

Banned Australian cricketers David Warner and Steve Smith made a low-scoring debut in the Bangladesh Premier League yesterday, amassing just 30 runs between them as newly-minted skippers in the Twenty20 league.

The duo, who are serving international bans for ball tampering, faced off in the BPL opener in Dhaka, with Smith's Comilla Victorians edging Warner's Sylhet Sixers by four wickets. Their debut as foreign stars in the lucrative T20 franchise came as Australia's Test cricketers in Sydney stared down defeat against a ruthless India.

David Warner of the Sylhet Sixers during a Bangladesh Premier League match in Dhaka yesterday. Pics/AFP

Warner hit off-spinner Mahedi Hasan for three sixes in one over at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium before a mix-up saw him run out for 14 off 13 balls. Warner ran for a single after his partner Towhid Hridoy pushed Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik towards square leg.

But Hridoy did not respond and both batsmen were caught at the same end. The third umpire declared Warner out but replays indicated he was in before his partner ground his bat. Smith meanwhile was declared caught-behind for 16 off 17 balls.

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