Cameron Bancroft ‘certainly has my backing’, said Adam Voges a day after taking over as the new Western Australia (WA) and Perth Scorchers head coach.

Bancroft, banned by Cricket Australia for nine months for his role in the ball-tampering scandal while on Australia’s Test tour of South Africa earlier this year, is free to play for his club Willetton and will also feature in the Northern Territory Strike League in Darwin in July.

He is also expected to join the Western Australia pre-season training camp later this month.

“I’ve met with Cameron a couple of times now. He certainly has my full support,” said Voges, who was unveiled as the new WA coach earlier this week to fill the vacancy created once Justin Langer replaced Darren Lehmann as the national team coach.

“He’s up north at the moment doing a bit of his community service. He’s dealing with the reality that he can’t play first-class cricket for nine months.”

Voges, 38, was playing first-class cricket till September 2017 and has played a fair bit with Bancroft since the 25-year-old opening batsman made his WA debut in a List-A game in October 2011.

He said the team will do whatever it can to make the youngster feel welcome. “We’ll map out a plan for him. He’s well loved and respected within the playing group and he certainly has my backing. He’ll be ready to go when he’s available,” said Voges.