Steven Smith joins Comilla Victorians for BPL 6

Comilla Victorians have roped in Steven Smith for the upcoming Bangladesh Premier League, as Shoaib Malik's replacement after he will depart for Pakistan's series against New Zealand midway through the tournament, ESPNcricinfo reported.

Smith, who has been serving a 12-month ban handed by Cricket Australia following the Newlands ball-tampering scandal, will be representing Victorians from their fifth league fixture, the franchise confirmed on Tuesday.

The BPL will be Smith's fourth commitment in a T20 league following his ban - he has played in Canada's Global T20 and Caribbean Premier League, while being recently signed up for the Pakistan Super League as well.

Smith will be joined by David Warner in the league, who had earlier signed up with Sylhet Sixers. The duo's ban from top-flight cricket ends on March 29, 2019.