Steven Smith and David Warner are prepared to face the fire, says Justin Langer

The ‘Sandpapergate’ saga which involved former Australian skipper Steven Smith and vice-captain David Warner back in early 2018 was the start of one of the most toughest times for Australian cricket. However, after a one-year hiatus from international cricket, the duo made their return to the big stage in the most recent edition of the IPL and impressed with their brilliance.

The Australian pair were included in the 15-man squad for the upcoming ICC ODI World Cup which will be played in England & Wales from May 30 onwards. Australia coach, Justin Langer, reckons that the returning pair will face crowd backlash during the World Cup campaign but insisted that they are prepared to take on the challenge.

"We can't control the crowd. What I do know is... it might heat up but I can guarantee it won't be any hotter than it was 12 months ago. I've never seen anything like it.

"The boys are well prepared. They've paid a heavy price and we're expecting always to come here and to face the fire and we're ready for that. They're human beings as well and... there's not too many I've met who like being booed or heckled or disliked. We're going to have to care for them, we're going to have to put an arm around them and make sure they're going okay," Langer told reporters in London as per Reuters sources.

Langer, who was a former opener for the Australia national team, revealed that he was happy with the performances of Smith and Warner in the recent three unofficial World Cup warm-up matches at home against New Zealand XI team earlier this month.

"I watched Steve batting... in those three practice games, he's literally a master of the game, so it's nice to have him back. Dave's got that look on his eye, he's really hungry, he's a great player... he's so dynamic, he brings so much energy, and that's what we ask from our players," Langer added.