Not only is the 37-year-old fully fit after the broken rib that curtailed his tour of South Africa but he wants to ensure he makes the very most of what remains of his record-breaking career.

Jos Buttler, reaching out, almost at full stretch. Where have we seen that before? It is an image carved into the memory of every sports fan in the country. 

Following the ball-tampering scandal of March 2018, Cricket Australia handed Smith a 12-month suspension adding he would not be considered for captaincy for another year after that.

There may be no cricket at present, but there is still much to discuss, and Sportsmail columnists Nasser Hussain and David 'Bumble' Lloyd are on hand to answer some important questions.

England's star cricketers have been nonplussed by reports that they will be expected to take pay cuts of up to £200,000 as the game repositions its finances because of the coronavirus crisis.

The Test side could face West Indies or Pakistan, this season's proposed red-ball opponents, while Eoin Morgan's white-ball World Cup winners face Australia, who are currently due here in July

EOIN MORGAN: As we took the field to defend 15 in the super over in the World Cup final last summer, Jos Buttler told me he hoped I had a couple of shamrocks in my pocket.

LAWRENCE BOOTH: Words were not enough, but the captains tried anyway. 'Extraordinary,' said Morgan. 'Gutted,' said Williamson. More or less everyone else was left speechless.

Sir Andrew Strauss has admitted to mistakes in the way he handled Kevin Pietersen during the dispute that was to ultimately tear one of the best of all England teams apart.

PAUL NEWMAN: It is not without irony that Tom Harrison, the ECB chief executive, spoke of rewarding cricket's 'core audience' if the game can squeeze a truncated season into this summer.

RICHARD GIBSON: The 31-year-old represents another arrival straight from his country's Test team, having featured in their most recent match, England's series-clinching victory in Johannesburg.

COMMENT BY LAWRENCE BOOTH: In the editor's notes in this year's Wisden I suggested the English game has a problem with unconscious bias - which is not the same as overt racism.

Joe Root believes David Warner was better behaved in the last Ashes series than the previous one. The Australian batsman is known to be a lively character and Root thought he was calmer.

Cricket's county champions are still planning for a truncated season and believe a Twenty20 Blast-dominated schedule will help the game avoid the financial black hole facing football.

EXCLUSIVE: The ECB are preparing to postpone England's Test series against West Indies, put back the Twenty20 Blast until later in the summer and cancel the inaugural Hundred.

LAWRENCE BOOTH: Rashid will turn 35 during the next World Cup in 2023 but with the tournament set for the spin-friendly pitches of India, he says he'd love to be involved.

If cricket returns while Covid-19 is still a threat, bowlers will be asked to throw clothing and other things such as sunglasses beyond the boundary rope instead of handing to officials.

EXCLUSIVE BY DAVID COVERDALE: Eoin Morgan's side are scheduled to face the Aussies in three Twenty20s and three one-day internationals from July 3-16.

EXCLUSIVE: Ian Watmore quit his leading Football League role in November 2018 citing poor health. But it can be revealed a week earlier the EFL had commissioned an independent inquiry.

The ECB have been given a free run at reorganising their international summer plans after West Indies prioritised their three Tests in England over home series against New Zealand and South Africa.

England cricket legend Andrew Flintoff has recalled how Newcastle boss Steve Bruce once bailed him out of a sticky situation at a restaurant after his credit card had maxed out.

There are fears that the current restrictions put in place by their federal government preventing Australians flying abroad in all but essential circumstances will last into final quarter of this year.

EXCLUSIVE BY MATT HUGHES: Sportsmail has learned that the ECB are insured for the value of all tickets sold up until April 1 if the Tests do not take place as planned.

SPECIAL REPORT: There are growing concerns that the new franchise-based tournament is unaffordable given the challenges facing cricket amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The ECB had initially announced that no cricket would be played in the UK until May 28 at the earliest, but - as expected - the pandemic has caused a further delay.

The ECB have delayed the 2020 season until at least July 1, leaving just three months to complete the remaining nine County Championship rounds, the Twenty20 Blast and the new Hundred competition.

English cricket supremo Tom Harrison has warned of dire financial consequences for the sport amid fears that the new season will not take place at all because of the coronavirus.

Last year's tournament was where Archer rose from relative obscurity to a household name, finishing as England's leading wicket-taker with 20 scalps at an average of 23.05.

In a report seen by Sportsmail, consultants Oakwell Sports Advisory recommend selling a stake in each of the eight franchises to private equity as a potential solution to the financial issues.

The Hundred's inaugural season is set to be formally delayed at a board meeting of the England and Wales Board Cricket Board.

LAWRENCE BOOTH: Hampshire are willing to host more than one Test this summer, with chief Rod Bransgrove confident club can help get cricket up and running again in a biosecure environment.

NASSER HUSSAIN and DARREN GOUGH come together for Sportsmail via Zoom to talk about old times, this England team and what the Dazzler did next…

EXCLUSIVE BY DAVID COVERDALE: Durham chief executive Tim Bostock no longer expects him to come over as he is needed back Down Under in September ahead of the Sheffield Shield.

Eoin Morgan's world champions are now eight points clear of India following their dominance in the format over recent years with New Zealand, the defeated finalists at Lord's last July, in third.

Sportsmail understands that while the ECB have not been involved directly in talks with the Board of Control for Cricket in India they are aware of the various contingencies being drawn up.

England were scheduled to play Tests in Galle and Colombo in March before the coronavirus outbreak shut down sport worldwide as countries introduced lockdown measures to prevent the spread.

Joe Root has been involved in talks to reschedule England's Test series amid news that the recently-abandoned tour of Sri Lanka is inked in for next January.

EXCLUSIVE By MATT HUGHES: The ECB will face opposition from MCC and counties who play at major Test venues if they seek to sell stakes in Hundred franchises to private equity,

Dukes, the manufacturers of balls used in English home Tests, have dismissed the need for artificial substances to aid shining if international cricket is played this summer.

ECB are asking players to take 20 per cent pay cuts if the Hundred's original draft list is kept for 2021. The retention of the eight 15-man squads on 80 per cent of their agreed terms would save £1.536million.

With no live cricket being played due to the ongoing coronavirus crisis, Sportsmail columnists Nasser Hussain and David Lloyd are answering your questions.

Bolus won all seven of his caps in the space of eight months in 1963 and 1964, hitting the first ball he faced in Test cricket - from legendary West Indies fast bowler Wes Hall - for four.

EXCLUSIVE BY LAWRENCE BOOTH: Chief executive Johnny Grave revealed there are still several hoops to jump through before Jason Holder's team would agree to take part..

It is a timeframe that clashes with England's proposed return to international action - one that is set to be held in a bio-secure environment following the outbreak of the coronavirus.

EXCLUSIVE BY RICHARD GIBSON: Currently Pakistan are due to contest three Tests in August, plus three Twenty20 internationals, but are understood to be open to a longer stay.

LAWRENCE BOOTH: When Graham Williams walked out to bat at Lord's on May 21, 1945, it had not been a fortnight since Germany's surrender.

 It is his big comeback since announcing he is HIV Positive. And the actor ooks full of beans as he poses with his on-screen stepmother Leah Remini in a still from his forthcoming film.

The actor has been involved in a clinical trial for a drug called PRO-140 since early this year. And on Tuesday, he received the news from his doctor that his virus is no longer detectable.

Bold and The Beautiful star Rena Sofer praised former co-star Charlie Sheen from Two and a Half Men, telling The Morning Show on Thursday the actor was a pleasure to work with.

She has always shown her magnanimous side throughout their confrontations. In the Twitter image she sits at a table with the Two And A Half Men star and their daughters.