Steve Smith changed and it's time to move on

Former Australia cricket captain Steve Smith has "changed" following the ball tampering scandal, West Indies star Darren Sammy says.

Sammy made the comment as captain of Smith's team, the Toronto Nationals, ahead of Canada's first Twenty20 competition featuring six teams at the tiny Maple Leaf Cricket Club in a rural town north of Toronto.

The competition marks Smith and fellow banned Australian cricketer David Warner's first professional game back since being caught cheating in South Africa three months ago.

"I would pick him in my team any day," Sammy said of Smith.

"He's been excellent in the group, I can see he has changed. I'm just happy he's here. I really respect him for what he has been through."

Sammy said the first thing he said to Smith in Toronto was he respected him for owning his mistake and apologising publicly