WATCH: Steve Smith hit the nets for first time after elbow surgery

The former skipper picked up the bat and went through an intense training session at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) on Thursday

With a few weeks left to the expiration of his year-long ban, former Australian captain Steve Smith returned to the nets for the first time since his elbow surgery. He is looking forward to regaining his fitness with a hope to feature in the upcoming ICC Cricket World Cup, slated to begin from May 30.

Smith underwent the knife in January after being forced to leave in the middle of the Bangladesh Premier League due to the injury. Post recovery, the former skipper picked up the bat and went through an intense training session at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) on Thursday.

He took to his Instagram account to share a video where he could be seen facing a few deliveries at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Captioning the video, the right-handed batsman wrote: “Great to have my first hit back. The elbow is feeling good.”

Here’s the video:

View this post on Instagram

Great to have my first hit back today. The elbow is feeling good! 😀

A post shared by Steve Smith (@steve_smith49) on Feb 28, 2019 at 3:53am PST

Smith, along with David Warner and Cameron Bancroft, was handed over a 12-month ban from international cricket following the infamous ball-tampering scandal that took place during the four-match series in South Africa in March 2018.

While Bancroft has returned on the field after serving the 9-month ban, Smith and Warner are eligible for selection again from March 29.