Darren Sammy has called on the media not to keep "kicking a man when he's down" after Steve Smith was pictured drinking alone in New York.
Smith was described as looking "forlorn" while drinking a beer in a bar ahead of his comeback in the Global T20 Canada on Friday.
The former Australia captain was banned for a year by Cricket Australia in March for his part in the Newlands ball-tampering scandal.
Ex-West Indies captain Sammy, Smith's skipper in the Toronto Nationals side, said it is time to lay off the prolific batsman.
"That's not called for," Sammy said in relation to the coverage of Smith in New York. "You've made your point.
"I think, as sportsmen, we want to do the right things, set the example for the next generation.
"We will make mistakes, but it doesn't mean you've got to keep kicking a man when he's down. That's not the humane way to do things, and I think there's a right to punish but there's also a right to forgive and move on.
"As a Christian, you commit sins, there are punishments for your sins. [It] doesn't mean everything is okay, but there's always forgiveness after you've committed your sins and paid the price, and you move on."
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