Smith 'spent four days in tears' after ball-tampering scandal

As he prepares to make a playing return, Steve Smith has revealed he "spent four days in tears" after the ball-tampering scandal that rocked Australian cricket.

Smith was handed a 12-month ban from international and grade-level cricket for his role in the fiasco during his side's tour of South Africa earlier this year.

As part of the community service component of his suspension, the former Australia captain spoke at Sydney's Knox Grammar School, where he was working with the Gotcha4life programme to raise awareness about men's mental health.

"To be honest, I probably spent four days in tears. I was really struggling mentally," he said, as reported by 7 News. "It certainly was the toughest thing that I've had to do."

While Smith is banned from elite cricket, he is set to make his comeback later this month after being drafted in the Global T20 Canada tournament on Sunday.

On his suspension, he added: "I'm two months down and counting. Hopefully, once I get back to the game, I'm fresh and ready to perform at a really high level again."