Steve Smith vows to 'earn back trust' after touching down in Australia following ball-tampering ban

Former cricket captain was at the centre of a cheating storm during a Test match against South Africa earlier this year

Steve Smith was stripped of his Australia captaincy and banned for 12 months for his part in the ball-tampering scandal. Nic Bothma / EPA

Steve Smith has vowed to "earn back the trust" of cricket fans after returning to Australia following his part in a ball-tampering scandal.

Smith was sacked as Australia captain and banned for a year when he, vice-captain David Warner and Cameron Bancroft plotted to use sandpaper to gain an unfair advantage in a Test match against South Africa earlier this year.

The affair led to the departure of head coach Darren Lehmann and an intense period of soul-searching among the Australian cricket community.

Smith, as captain, was at the eye of the storm, crowded by media as he returned from Cape Town to give a tearful press conference.

He is understood to have spent time in the United States since then, but announced he was back on home soil via an Instagram post. In the message he thanked those who had supported him and pledged to be worthy of it in future.

Alongside a picture of himself and fiancee Dani Willis, he wrote: "It's great to be back home in Australia. I have had some time away to come to terms with everything and now it's time to get back into it.

"The amount of emails and letters I have received has been incredible and I have been extremely humbled by the enormous amount of support you have given me.

"I now have a lot to do to earn back your trust. To my Mum, Dad and Dani you have been my rock through this and I can't thank you enough. Family is the most important thing in the world and I thank you for your love and support."