David Warner made his return to cricket for the first time since he was suspended from state and international cricket for Australia following his role in the ball-tampering saga.

Warner, however, finally made a return to cricket while playing for Winnipeg Hawks in the Global T20 Canada League. He could, unfortunately, only muster a single run and when asked about how he felt after returning to cricket, he joked that he wishes to score more and really enjoyed being back on the field.

‘Get more than one run,’ Warner joked.

‘Good to be back out in the field with a smile on my face. These tournaments are exciting, just like the IPL or the Big Bash League. I’m grateful for this opportunity.

He then spoke about the ball-tampering saga, of which he was the instigator since he instructed Cameron Bancroft to alter the condition of the ball with sandpaper. Warner revealed that they are trying to move on from the incident, which was very tough for him and his family.

‘Being at home for the last 12 weeks was great for me, it was great for my mind. What happened [in South Africa] was really, really tough but we’re responsible for that and we’re moving on [and] to get back out here and play cricket, it’s really good for us mentally.

‘It definitely has been [tough], not just for me but for my family, obviously, the fans out there that support cricket and Australian cricket, so I’m responsible for that, that’s my fault and why I’ve had some tough times,’ he added.

After that, David Warner addressed rumours of him having a rift with Steven Smith. The former vice-captain of Australia revealed that Smith and he continue to be good friends and hang out together at the hotel.

‘Steve and me are good mates. If people hang in the hotel, they’ll see us hanging out with each other and stuff. At the end of the day, it was a big thing that happened and for us, you’ve got to handle it in your individual way and then how you handle it collectively.’

He, however, also revealed that he hasn’t been able to keep up with Cameron Bancroft and Steve Smith because they have been far away from each other, but they did keep contact via text.