SYDNEY, Feb 9: Shane Warne returns after a drugs ban on Tuesday hoping to play his way back into international cricket. The disgraced Australian leg-spinner, who has served a 12-month suspension , will make his first appearance in the modest surrounds of Melbourne's Junction Oval where he will play for the Victorian state's second XI against the Queensland Academy of Sport.

Such matches rarely make the news but Warne's return has suddenly made this the biggest fixture of the season. Local newspapers have been counting down the days to his comeback and an army of reporters and photographers will descend on the suburban park to watch him roll his arm over.

Despite the drug scandal, Warne is being welcomed back to the fold with open arms. The match actually began on Monday but such is the collective support for Warne in Australian cricket circles, the teams bent the rules to let him join the game on the second day when his ban officially ends. -Reuters