Tim Paine resigns as Australia’s Test cricket captain over ‘private’ text messages sent to colleague

[IMMY69]

As with my point about Rafiq, if you were offended and feel abused then it needs to be raised at the time. You don't find them offensive years later. I have little sympathy with either him or the women, just like I didn't have much time for Rafiq or the YK players that used the racial language

Well the whole point of all this is that people should come forward immediately and not sit on it. But to do that the environment has to change and hopefully it is

These two incidents are not really comparable, except that both people held on to their texts.

 

[Bewal Express]

Well the whole point of all this is that people should come forward immediately and not sit on it. But to do that the environment has to change and hopefully it is

These two incidents are not really comparable, except that both people held on to their texts.

I can understand in rare circumstances people are afraid to come forward because of the fear of reprisals etc. But that happens to the minions not the people who are in the public eye. If this women or Rafiq came forward at the time and explained what they had done to report these offensive messages, whats the worst that would have happened to them? Well nothing because they could claim constructive dismissal if the organisations looked to threaten or bully them. Not only would they have got a payout and they won't look like cynical opportunists.

 

[Kohli The King of Chase]

Well deserved after his statement against Afghanistan and it’s culture. A temporary captain and a hypocrite got what he deserved

 

[Joseph Gomes]

Tim Paine is possibly the most shameless cricketer I have ever seen tbh. Sending unsolicited nudes to women and lecturing about how sexist Afghan culture is. Does he not have a mirror in his house? lol

 

[Saj]

So CA knew about this but allowed him to become Test captain.

My faith in those running cricket around the world is diminishing with each day.

 

[Joseph Gomes]

So CA knew about this but allowed him to become Test captain.

My faith in those running cricket around the world is diminishing with each day.

Wait till you see about the racism in CA. Casual racism is much more prevalent and acceptable in Aus than UK.

 

[Amjid Javed]

So CA knew about this but allowed him to become Test captain.

My faith in those running cricket around the world is diminishing with each day.

2 different scandals for Aussies at same time would have been 1 huge nail in cricket coffin at that time. no surprise they covered it up, always been a shameful bunch behaviour wise.

 

[Joseph Gomes]

2 different scandals for Aussies at same time would have been 1 huge nail in cricket coffin at that time. no surprise they covered it up, always been a shameful bunch behaviour wise.

How did not a single PR guy in CA not consider that a tool like Paine shouldn't be allowed to lecture about foreign cultures and virtue signalling? Paine is legitimately a disgusting human being.

 

[octavian]

Statement from the Board of Cricket AustraliaTim Paine has advised the Board of Cricket Australia of his decision to stand down as captain of the Australian men’s Test team, effective immediately.

The Board has accepted Paine’s resignation and will now accelerate the process of identifying and appointing a new Test captain.

CA Chair Richard Freudenstein said: “Tim felt it was in the best interests of his family and Australian cricket to take this decision to step down as captain.

“The Board has accepted Tim’s resignation and will now work through a process with the National Selection Panel of identifying and appointing a new captain.

“While the Board acknowledges an investigation cleared Tim of any breach of the code of conduct regarding this matter some years ago, we respect his decision.

“CA does not condone this type of language or behaviour.

“Despite the mistake he made, Tim has been an exceptional leader since his appointment and the Board thanks him for his distinguished service.

==

Tim Paine has stood down as Australia captain after being investigated by Cricket Australia over sending a co-worker an explicit image of himself along with a string of lewd messages.

The 36-year-old was promoted to captain following the ball tampering scandal in South Africa in 2018 but has resigned in shame following the latest scandal to rock Australian cricket.

In a statement just released, Paine has told Cricket Australia that he will quit as captain, effective immediately.

Cricket Australia chairman Richard Freudenstein said: “Tim felt it was in the best interests of his family and Australian cricket to take this decision to step down as captain.

“The Board has accepted Tim’s resignation and will now work through a process with the National Selection Panel of identifying and appointing a new captain.”

Paine broke down in tears as he faced the media and confirmed how he was embroiled in the text exchange and that he would be stepping down as captain of the team.

He did however say he would still remain a part of the team.

“Today I am announcing my decision to stand down as captain of the Australian men’s cricket team. It’s a difficult decision, but the right one for me, my family and cricket.

“Nearly four years ago, I was involved in a text exchange with a then-colleague.

“At the time, the exchange was the subject of a thorough CA Integrity Unit investigation, throughout which I fully participated in and openly participated in. That investigation and a Cricket Tasmania HR investigation at the same time found that there had been no breach of the Cricket Australia Code of Conduct.

“Although exonerated, I deeply regretted this incident at the time, and still do today. I spoke to my wife and family at the time and am enormously grateful for their forgiveness and support. We thought this incident was behind us and that I could focus entirely on the team, as I have done for the last three or four years.

“However, I recently became aware that this private text exchange was going to become public. On reflection, my actions in 2017 do not meet the standard of an Australian cricket captain, or the wider community. I’m deeply sorry for the hurt and pain that I have caused to my wife, my family, and to the other party.

“I’m sorry for the damage that this does to the reputation of our sport. And I believe that it is the right decision for me to stand down as captain, effective immediately. I do not want this to become an unwelcome disruption to the team ahead of what is a huge Ashes Series. I have loved my role as captain of the Australian cricket team. It’s been the greatest privilege of my sporting life to lead the Australian men’s test team.

“I’m grateful for the support of my teammates and proud of what we’ve been able to achieve together. To them, I ask for their understanding and forgiveness. To Australian cricket fans - deeply sorry that my past behaviour has impacted our game on the eve of the Ashes. For the disappointment I have caused to fans and the entire cricket community, I apologise. I’ve been blessed with a wonderful, loving and supportive family, and it breaks my heart to know how much I’ve let them down. They have always stood by me, been my most loyal fans, and I’m indebted to them for their support.

“I will remain a committed member of the Australian cricket team, and look forward with anticipation to what is a huge Ashes tour. Thank you.”

According to the Herald Sun, the messages date back to the eve and the morning of the first Ashes Test at the Gabba in 2017.

They report that while some of the messages were too explicit to publish, the exchange included Paine suggesting to the woman: “Will you want to taste my *** ?? F*** me, I’m seriously hard.”

The messages also included what was described in the texts as a “dick pic”.

In a correspondence with Australia Cricket authorities in June 2018, the woman claimed she was offended by “Mr Paine’s sexually explicit, unwelcome and unsolicited photograph of his genitals in addition to the graphic sexual comments”.

Cricket Australia reportedly became aware of the messages as long ago as March 2018 after letter of complaint were sent to Cricket Australia and to Cricket Tasmania - the latter of which she worked at before resigning in 2017.

In a statement, Cricket Tasmania said: “As soon as Cricket Tasmania was made aware, it undertook an investigation that determined the interaction was consensual, private, occurred on the one occasion only, was between mature adults and was not repeated,” he said.

“Cricket Tasmania clearly does not condone this type of behaviour and addressed the matter directly with Tim Paine.

“However, because of the consensual nature of the actions it was determined that no further action was required or appropriate.”

It is also reported that complaints were made to the Australian Human Rights Commission regarding alleged sexual harassment in relation to the exchange.

https://www.foxsports.com.au/cricke...s/news-story/f0f04ffd8664c276552f36217f98ab3d

So they know what Tim Paine said. How about making public also what the woman said ?

I don't get why name and shame only one party in a clearly two exchange.

 

[princeuk]

How come this has come into public knowledge now, a number of years after the event. And who was behind it? I think these are legit questions to ask.

 

[IMMY69]

I can understand in rare circumstances people are afraid to come forward because of the fear of reprisals etc. But that happens to the minions not the people who are in the public eye. If this women or Rafiq came forward at the time and explained what they had done to report these offensive messages, whats the worst that would have happened to them? Well nothing because they could claim constructive dismissal if the organisations looked to threaten or bully them. Not only would they have got a payout and they won't look like cynical opportunists.

It's the wrong thread to discuss this but maybe he'll all he cared about at that age was his cricketing career and not to make a quick buck in compensation.

Who knows? We're all just second guessing the motives.

 

[MenInG]

Hobart: The Australian Cricketers’ Association (ACA) has come out in support of Tim Paine, who decided to step down from Test captaincy less than three weeks before the Ashes, after revealing that he was involved in a sexting scandal.

In a statement released soon after Paine organised a press conference, where he did not take questions, ACA said it did not believe the wicketkeeper-batter needed to quit as captain.

“While respecting the decision made by Tim Paine, the ACA is saddened that he felt the need to resign from the captaincy of the Australian Test team. While regrettable, this was an historical mistake that was a private matter between consenting individuals. Tim fully cooperated in an integrity investigation by Cricket Australia in 2018 in which he was exonerated.

“Tim humbly recognised the respect that comes with the Australian captaincy and his resignation reflects the esteem in which he held the role that he served so well in a trying period for Australian cricket. Tim’s captaincy has been regarded throughout the cricket world as playing a crucial role in restoring pride back in the Australian team, both in their performance and the spirit in which they play the game,” ACA said in a statement.

Paine had taken over Australia’s Test captaincy following the Sandpaper scandal in South Africa in 2018, following which then skipper Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft were banned.

“While Tim has clearly made a mistake, he will continue to have the full and unequivocal support of the ACA,” the statement added.

Paine was involved in a text exchange with an ex-female employee of Cricket Tasmania (CT) in 2017, and while he has stepped down as captain ahead of the gruelling Ashes, he will be available for selection for the series.

An emotional Paine, who was made aware that the text exchange would become public, read a brief statement which said, “It’s an incredibly difficult decision, but the right one for me, my family, and cricket. As a background on my decision, nearly four years ago I was involved in a text exchange with a then-colleague.

“At the time, the exchange was the subject of a thorough CA Integrity Unit investigation, throughout which I fully participated in and openly participated in. That investigation and a Cricket Tasmania HR investigation at the same time found that there had been no breach of the Cricket Australia code of conduct.

“I deeply regretted this incident at the time, and still do today. I spoke to my wife and family at the time and am enormously grateful for their forgiveness and support. We thought this incident was behind us and that I could focus entirely on the team, as I have done for the last three or four years.

“However, I recently became aware that this private text exchange was going to become public. On reflection, my actions in 2017 do not meet the standard of an Australian cricket captain, or the wider community. I’m deeply sorry for the hurt and pain that I have caused to my wife, my family, and to the other party. I’m sorry for any damage that this does to the reputation of our sport and I believe that it is the right decision for me to stand down as captain, effective immediately.

“I do not want this to become an unwelcome disruption to the team ahead of what is a huge Ashes series,” added Paine.

The Ashes begin at the Gabba on December 8.

Paine has so far played 35 Test matches for Australia, making his debut against Pakistan at Lord’s in 2010. He played four Tests that year and did not return the Test side until the 2017/18 Ashes when he guided the hosts to a 4-0 victory.

He later became Australia Test skipper following the Sandpaper scandal.

https://www.cricketcountry.com/news...-tim-paine-says-he-shouldnt-have-quit-1006127

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Remind me again, this is the same joker who had a bone to pick with Afghanistan Cricket?



I think that he should watch his mouth the next time he speaks about something that merits more attention than his entire cricketing career.

Pathetic.

Cruel irony. But its like they say, people who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.

Few months ago, he was trying to project himself as a morally superior liberal Australian who has great respect for women. Now it turns out he's no different from a white frat boy.

 

[sam_ahm]

This is a blessing in disguise for Australia. Paine is a rubbish cricketer and a rubbish captain. He had no business being in the team let alone be the captain.

Australia overcompensated after getting exposed for their ball-tampering, and the Paine scam carried on for far too long. He should have been booted for good after Australia were humiliated by Indian reserves at home.

I agree on this, no Australian team of the past would have continued with a captain who literally lost to our reserve team and sone of Paine's decisions in that series very plain stupid. Imagine losing test matches after declaring in the 2nd innings. Gilly once did that against England and never captained Australia again.

 

[MenInG]

Cricket Australia Board Statement

Richard Freudenstein, Cricket Australia Chair, has made the following statement on behalf of the Cricket Australia Board:

"I would like to start by acknowledging Tim Paine. Despite the mistake he made, Tim has been an exceptional leader in Australian cricket over the last three years."

"Following the resignation of Tim as captain of the Australian men’s Test team, I felt it necessary to share Cricket Australia's position on this matter.

"Neither of us, Nick Hockley or myself, can speak directly to the decision-making process in 2018.

"This includes being able to provide any further insights around how the original judgement was made, that Tim’s behaviour did not breach the code of conduct and that it did not warrant any further disciplinary action.

"Once again, while I cannot speak about the original decision-making in 2018, what I can say is that faced with the same circumstances, and with the benefit of all relevant information about this matter, Cricket Australia would not make the same decisions today.

"I acknowledge that the decision clearly sent the wrong message to the sport, to the community and to Tim – that this kind of behaviour is acceptable and without serious consequences.

"The role of Australia Captain must be held to the highest standards.

"Since 2018, the organisation has implemented more education for players including training in relation to acceptable behaviour and engaging in social media, including the exchange of sexually explicit material.

"But what is clear is that there are lessons to be learnt and we, as an organisation, have more to do and will do more in this area."

 

[Salma_T]

Cricket Australia Board Statement

Richard Freudenstein, Cricket Australia Chair, has made the following statement on behalf of the Cricket Australia Board:

"I would like to start by acknowledging Tim Paine. Despite the mistake he made, Tim has been an exceptional leader in Australian cricket over the last three years."

"Following the resignation of Tim as captain of the Australian men’s Test team, I felt it necessary to share Cricket Australia's position on this matter.

"Neither of us, Nick Hockley or myself, can speak directly to the decision-making process in 2018.

"This includes being able to provide any further insights around how the original judgement was made, that Tim’s behaviour did not breach the code of conduct and that it did not warrant any further disciplinary action.

"Once again, while I cannot speak about the original decision-making in 2018, what I can say is that faced with the same circumstances, and with the benefit of all relevant information about this matter, Cricket Australia would not make the same decisions today.

"I acknowledge that the decision clearly sent the wrong message to the sport, to the community and to Tim – that this kind of behaviour is acceptable and without serious consequences.

"The role of Australia Captain must be held to the highest standards.

"Since 2018, the organisation has implemented more education for players including training in relation to acceptable behaviour and engaging in social media, including the exchange of sexually explicit material.

"But what is clear is that there are lessons to be learnt and we, as an organisation, have more to do and will do more in this area."

CA are in full protection mode and throwing the previous administration under the bus.....the reality is CA is just another sports body that will protect it's image at any cost!

 

[Varun]

So net net, Paine was involved in this scandal even before the Smith-Warner-Bancroft thing, but was named the ideal replacement captain. Go figure.

 

[Salma_T]

So net net, Paine was involved in this scandal even before the Smith-Warner-Bancroft thing, but was named the ideal replacement captain. Go figure.

Yes but it was between him and the woman then, no authorities knew about it. It was reported after he was appointed captain and i guess they couldn't sack "Mr family man", "cleanskin"....so you have to question the leaking of the information to the press....seems like an inside job...CA wanted him gone but wouldn't sack him!

 

[Cover Drive Six]

Steve Smith was removed from captaincy for scratching ball with sand paper

Tim paine is removed from captaincy for showing balls.

Be Careful while dealing with any kind of ball.

 

[Junaids]

So CA knew about this but allowed him to become Test captain.

My faith in those running cricket around the world is diminishing with each day.

CA are in full protection mode and throwing the previous administration under the bus.....the reality is CA is just another sports body that will protect it's image at any cost!

Think back to April 2018.

Cricket Australia imposed narrow terms of reference for the Sandpapergate Inquiry to ensure that the bowlers who had used doctored balls - almost certainly since Wellington 2016 - would not have to be convicted with Bancroft, Smith and Warner.

But they were unsure whether Warner would sell his story to the media. If he did, Cummins would have had to be thrown under the bus with Starc, Hazlewood and Lyon as they had been bowling the doctored balls. The story that it only happened in one session at Cape Town would have been hard to defend and the bowlers would have been impossible to defend.

They couldn’t take the risk of appointing Cummins and losing two skippers in three months to the ball-tampering scandal.

In effect, Tim Paine was the only option.

 

[Salma_T]

[MENTION=132916]Junaids[/MENTION] I have always thought the bowlers must have known and they need to protect them!

 

[Last Monetarist]

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/cricket/cricket-australia-admits-it-was-a-mistake-to-not-disclose-paine-investigation-20211120-p59alv.html

Cricket Australia has refused to divulge why Tim Paine was allowed to remain as Test captain amid a sexting scandal despite conceding on Saturday it had erred in not axing him three years ago.

A day after Paine sensationally stepped down as skipper, the current CA administration effectively washed their hands of the decision made by their predecessors in 2018, with chairman Richard Freudenstein claiming he was not aware of the reasons behind the previous board’s call.

Many questions still remain unanswered after CA’s top brass of Freudenstein and chief executive Nick Hockley did not shed light on how it dealt with the allegations levelled at Paine shortly after he was appointed to succeed Steve Smith in the wake of the sandpaper crisis.

Jolimont’s handling of the issue will invite criticism that it moved into damage control mode by acting only after revelations were made public.

Despite the cloud hovering over Paine, the governing body allowed a narrative of the skipper being the face of the cultural reformation of the national men’s team, which had been severely damaged by the events in South Africa.

Board members at the time contacted by The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age since Paine’s resignation on Friday have been unable to explain why the Tasmanian kept his job, colloquially referred to as the most important in the country behind the Prime Minister. One former director has also told this masthead they were not aware of any board meeting where discussions were held over Paine’s future.

Freudenstein said he had been given a “high-level briefing” of the investigation conducted by CA’s integrity team after joining the board in 2019 and, with Paine cleared of misconduct, saw no reason to look into the matter further.

Investigators were given access to Paine’s phone as part of the inquiry into allegations he had sent lewd messages and a graphic image to a former Cricket Tasmania staff member.

Freudenstein acknowledged the office of the Test captain must be held to the “highest standards” but has been unable to attain an explanation from board colleagues present in 2018 why they reached their decision. Michelle Tredenick and John Harnden remain on the board from three years ago.

“I don’t think I can go back and look at a decision that was made in 2018 at the time because I don’t have enough knowledge and I can’t go back and look at that decision,” Freudenstein said.

“But what I can say is the whole of this current Australian cricket board, including those members that were on the board in 2018, are very clear that if the same circumstances arose today we’d make a different decision.

“There’s lots of context and things to 2018 that I’m not in the position to talk about.”

The change in CA’s stance came after the organisation was last week made aware of a News Corp investigation into the historic case.

The episode has also raised questions over the robustness of a code of conduct that cleared Paine of sending messages to a cricket staff member.

“I think the code of conduct is appropriate, but we will always continue to review all our policies and procedures,” Freudenstein said.

“And I think that’s important to note that a lot of things have changed since that time. I talked about some of the player education that’s gone on as a full player education program addressing a whole range of things, including texting.

“It’s been in place since the 2018/19 season. Every player is now required to undergo annual integrity education. And we’ve undertaken a full review of our entity harassment and discrimination policy. So we’re continuing to review our policies and we will continue to review that as an organisation.”

The board has given the green light to Paine to continue playing though his future as a player is yet to be decided by selectors. As it stands, he is the only wicketkeeper named in the Ashes squad announced during the week.

The Tasmanian’s bid to prove his fitness hit a hurdle on Saturday when play was washed out in a Hobart grade game that was to serve as his comeback to competitive cricket.

Fast bowler and vice-captain Pat Cummins is the overwhelming favourite to succeed Paine as the 47th men’s Test captain, but no appointment will be made until CA completes what it describes as a “thorough” but now expedited process for the new skipper.

Freudenstein also said former captain Steve Smith would not be disqualified for an official position, having served his leadership ban for his role in the ball-tampering affair.

 

[MenInG]

 

[MenInG]

Chief selector George Bailey said Tuesday he will step aside from voting on whether Tim Paine should remain in the Australian Test cricket side if there is a split decision, given their personal and business relationship. Paine abruptly quit as skipper on Friday ahead of the Ashes series against England over a series of lewd text messages with a female colleague in 2017 that were about to be made public. But he made clear he still wants to play as wicketkeeper in the opening Test in Brisbane on December 8.

That decision will be made by a three-man selection panel comprising Bailey, coach Justin Langer and the recently appointed Tony Dodemaide.

Bailey, who took over from Trevor Hohns as head selector earlier this year, is a close friend of Paine, having long played together at Tasmania. They are also co-investors in a gym business in the state.

"If the panel was not in agreeance with Tim's position going forward and it was going to come down to a vote, then I would step aside and leave that to Tony and Justin to work through," he said on the Cricket Etc podcast. "They're both aware of that."

Paine, 36, has suggested he may retire altogether after the Ashes and if he is not picked for Brisbane it could spell the end of his international career.

Working against him is a lack of match practice after invasive surgery in September for pain in his neck and left arm due to a bulging disc.

He made his return for Tasmania's second XI in Hobart on Monday, grabbing six catches.

Bailey, a former skipper of the Australian limited-over teams, said selectors were watching how he fares closely.

"One thing Tim's always been pretty good at is the preparation side of things. He is quite meticulous," he said.

"There is no doubt it is not an ideal preparation, but we'll watch this game and he'll know how he gets through the four days as much as anyone."

If they opt against him, Alex Carey is seen as favourite to take the gloves in Brisbane.

https://sports.ndtv.com/the-ashes-2...to-recuse-himself-from-tim-paine-fate-2621154

 

[street cricketer]

Quite a strong statement in support of Paine from cricket Tasmania.

 

[MenInG]

Australian opener Marcus Harris has backed Tim Paine to continue playing as wicketkeeper after a sexting scandal saw the 36-year-old relinquish the captaincy.

Harris said that Australia's Test cricketers only became aware of Paine's decision half an hour before he went public last Friday to reveal he had been investigated over lewd text messages sent to a female Cricket Tasmania staffer four years ago.

"People were obviously a bit shocked but we’ve got a lot of good leaders around our group," Harris told reporters on Wednesday.

"So it’s not ideal, but someone’s going to have to step up and lead from the front.

"Painewill still be around and can still show leadership in many different ways, but we’re looking forward to getting into camp and getting on with it."

Paine, who has been playing a domestic match in Tasmania this week while other test players are on the Gold Coast, is the only specialist wicketkeeper in Australia's 15-man Ashes squad.

However, selectors chairman George Bailey has confirmed he is no lock for the first test starting in Brisbane on Dec. 8 while he races to prove himself match-fit after neck surgery.

Harris said Paine was very popular among the playing group, had done a "really good job" under tough circumstances over the last few years and deserved to keep his place in the side.

"I think you’d probably still argue that he’s still the best gloveman in the country and he still played a few important innings last summer against India," he said.

"I know he’s got all the support of the players and like I said, all that other stuff is up to people above me."

Paine's resignation and Cricket Australia's handling of the sexting scandal have triggered recriminations, with Cricket Tasmania accusing the national body of hanging the wicketkeeper out to dry having cleared him of any wrongdoing in 2018.

The Sydney Morning Herald on Wednesday reported players were also unhappy with Cricket Australia's treatment of Paine, but Harris said he was unaware of any rift

https://www.indiatoday.in/sports/cr...im-for-ashes-marcus-harris-1880131-2021-11-24

 

[transparent opacity]

Tim Paine: Nathan Lyon is latest Australia player to support former captain

Spinner Nathan Lyon is the latest Australia player to voice his support for Tim Paine after the wicketkeeper resigned from the captaincy just weeks before the Ashes series begins.

Paine resigned on Friday over a historical investigation into sexually explicit texts to a female colleague but remains in the squad - and Lyon says he has the team's "full support".

"The selectors said they were going to pick the best available XI," he said. "In my eyes, Tim Paine is the best keeper in the world."

Batter Marcus Harris said previously that Tasmania's Paine had "got all the support of the players" as they prepare to start the Ashes series against England in Brisbane on 8 December.

Messages sent by Paine to a female Cricket Tasmania colleague in 2017 came to light as part of a misconduct investigation and he stepped down after he learned his texts were set to be revealed publicly.

Paine was appointed captain of the Australia Test team in 2018 following Steve Smith's ban over a ball-tampering scandal.

Cricket Tasmania has criticised Cricket Australia's treatment of Paine as the "worst of an Australia Test captain in 50 years" after it initially cleared him of wrongdoing when allegations were made in 2018.

Lyon, who has played 100 Tests and taken 399 Test wickets, said Paine was a "very lovable guy and very well respected".

"Every bowler's relationship with the keeper is exceptional," said the New South Wales bowler.

"This is very selfish - from a bowler's point of view I want the best gloveman behind the stumps.

"I'm pretty sure I'm speaking on behalf of every bowler that we want the best keeper."

Lyon added: "He's got my full support and I 100% guarantee he's got the full support of the Australian changing room."

https://www.bbc.com/sport/cricket/59413258

 

[Devadwal]

Which test sides would Tim Paine actually make as a keeper-batsman? maybe srilanka only at this moment .

 

[Last Monetarist]

https://www.cricket.com.au/news/tim-paine-leave-of-absence-tasmania-cricket-australia-ashes-england-captain-sexting-scandal/2021-11-26

Former Test captain Tim Paine will take an indefinite leave of absence from all cricket "for the foreseeable future", making the shock announcement just 12 days out from the start of the Ashes.

Paine's manager, James Henderson, said he is "extremely concerned" for the wellbeing of Paine and his wife, Bonnie, after details of a sexting scandal became public a week ago.

"Confirming that (Paine) is stepping away from cricket for an indefinite mental health break. We are extremely concerned for his and Bonnie's well-being and will be making no further comment at this time," Henderson wrote on Twitter.

Paine said last week that he had planned to retire from Test cricket after a successful Ashes series this summer, but no firm decision has been made on when, if at all, he will return to playing.

A more immediate on-field concern for national selectors is who will take the gloves for the first Vodafone Ashes Test at the Gabba in less than two weeks.

Alex Carey and Josh Inglis are the lead contenders to take Paine's spot, with the pair named in the Australia A squad that will assemble in Brisbane this weekend. Both will now have the opportunity to keep wicket at Australia's intra-squad practice match next week.

Just hours after the announcement, Cricket Australia confirmed that Pat Cummins will replace Paine as skipper, with Steve Smith to be his deputy.

While Paine had stepped down as captain last week, he had expressed his desire to keep playing and was the only wicketkeeper in Australia's 15-player squad for the first two Ashes Tests.

He also won the support of his teammates this week, with spinner Nathan Lyon labelling Paine "the best wicketkeeper in the world".

Paine took part in a second XI game for Tasmania this week, his first match since off-season neck surgery, and had been named to play a Marsh One-Day Cup game for the Tigers today where he was set to keep wicket and bat at No.3.

He was then expected to fly to Queensland on Saturday to join Australia's Test squad.

But in a shock statement this morning, Cricket Tasmania confirmed the 36-year-old would instead be stepping away from the game.

"Following discussions over the last 24 hours, Tim Paine has advised Cricket Tasmania that he will be taking a leave of absence from all forms of cricket for the foreseeable future," the statement read.

"Tim's decision makes him unavailable for selection for today's Marsh One-Day Cup match against Western Australia. His place in the squad will be taken by Charlie Wakim.

"Cricket Tasmania will continue to support Tim and his family both professionally and personally over the summer."

Paine informed selectors of his decision to step away just an hour before the news became public this morning.

Last Saturday, in his only interview since resigning as skipper, Paine conceded the scandal had taken a significant toll on himself and Bonnie.

"Not so well," Paine told the Herald Sun when asked how he and his wife were coping.

"I feel terrible, to be honest. Although Bonnie and I have both known about all this for three years, to have it played out like this is really distressing, and upsetting, and I'm really embarrassed. Really embarrassed. I feel sick for Bonnie, and for my family more than anything else."

Bonnie Paine added: "I feel a bit frustrated that it's all been brought up and aired in the public when we'd put it to bed years ago. I have moved forward since then. I feel like there is a lot of injustice for it being dragged out again.

"It seems unfair that it's being aired out to everyone else to view and judge."

In that same interview, Paine stressed his desire to continue playing, despite no longer being captain.

"I wasn't going to retire, I'd been pretty clear I wanted to keep playing, and potentially finish after this Ashes series," he said.

"I see that as the ultimate high, to be able to finish your Test career after winning an Ashes series in Australia. That's the dream. That's what I want to do."

Former Test captain Ricky Ponting, a former teammate and close confidant of Paine's, told cricket.com.au this week the fallout from the sexting scandal would be disruptive as long as Paine remained in the Ashes squad.

"I think inevitably it will (be a distraction)," Ponting told cricket.com.au. "Yes, he's made a huge call for himself, for Australian cricket and for the betterment of the Australian cricket team. But it's not going to go away."

Ponting tipped the experienced Carey, Australia's ODI vice-captain, to replace Paine for the Ashes if the Tasmanian isn't available.

But he said Inglis, who is uncapped at international level and four years younger than Carey, is an exciting long-term prospect.

"If Paine doesn't play in Brisbane, the obvious one is Alex Carey," Ponting said in an interview before Paine had stepped away from the game.

"If Paine does play the Ashes series, they might look at someone like Inglis post this summer.

"I'm on record saying I love Inglis – I think he's going to be a really good cricketer for Australia for a long time in whatever format they pick him in first, whether its T20s, one-dayers or Test cricket."

Cricket Australia Chief Executive Officer Nick Hockley said selectors would meet soon to decide the final squad for the start of the Ashes.

"We recognise that this is an incredibly difficult time for Tim and his family and are committed to supporting them," Hockley said in a statement.

"We respect and understand Tim's decision to have a break at this time to focus on his and his family's well-being.

"The National Selection Panel will meet in the coming days to discuss the final squad ahead of the first Ashes Test on December 8."

 

[MenInG]

Cricket Australia StatementTim Paine has advised Cricket Australia that he will be stepping away from cricket for a period of time.

Nick Hockley, Cricket Australia Chief Executive Officer, said:

“We recognise that this is an incredibly difficult time for Tim and his family and are committed to supporting them. We respect and understand Tim’s decision to have a break at this time to focus on his and his family’s well-being.”

“The National Selection Panel will meet in the coming days to discuss the final squad ahead of the first Ashes Test on December 8.”

 

[Last Monetarist]

It was always likely that Paine will not take part in the Ashes once the revelations became public, it would have been too much of a sideshow for the series.

From a sporting perspective, Australia will be stronger with Carey in the XI.

 

[James]

It now feels a bit like we won’t see Tim back in Test cricket.

 

[Robert]

I feel a bit bad for him, but he has to do what is necessary to get his mental health back and concentrate on strengthening his family.

 

[Firebat]

Looks like Paine will finish his career with 0 Test centuries.

 

[gazza619]

I feel a bit bad for him, but he has to do what is necessary to get his mental health back and concentrate on strengthening his family.

I do feel that such incidents should be taken care of behind closed doors.

Not a fan of naming and shaming. We are not saints. Humans make mistakes. Its not like he was fixing a match.

 

[Hassaan HS]

‘Test cricketers 24/7’: The hidden history of the Paine scandal
By Daniel Brettig and Andrew Wu

NOVEMBER 27, 2021
Former Australian Test captain Tim Paine.
Former Australian Test captain Tim Paine.CREDIT:GETTY IMAGES

“One of our big things moving forward is making Australians proud again, and not just proud of our on-field performances but our off-field performances as well. We’re Test cricketers 24/7, not just on the field.”

These words were spoken at a press conference by the Australian fast bowler Josh Hazlewood at the release of a cultural review into Australian cricket following the ball tampering scandal of 2018. It was October 29, and the national team’s captain, Tim Paine, was sitting alongside Hazlewood.

Three years and three weeks later, Paine is gone, having not only resigned the captaincy but dropped out of the game indefinitely on mental health grounds due to the revelation of things he did off the field and the resultant effect on him and his family.

His deputy, Pat Cummins, 28, is now the 47th men’s Test captain of Australia (with Steve Smith as his deputy), and describing as “daunting” the fact that each of his two predecessors resigned the office in tears. Cummins, articulate as ever, asked only that he be held to reasonable standards of conduct, on and off the field.

These two seismic events in Australian cricket are linked. Within an hour of Paine appearing at that 2018 press conference, an email lobbed in the now-dormant account of the former chief executive James Sutherland, who had finished at Cricket Australia on October 26.

It was a lengthy letter from the former Cricket Tasmania staffer embroiled in a dispute with her former employer, including reiterations of a claim against Paine, that CA and CT thought they had dealt with via parallel integrity investigations five months earlier, in May. Investigations that did not, however, include the co-operation of the staffer.

Paine’s tearful resignation as captain a week ago was, in his view, an unavoidable consequence of the publication of explicit text exchanges with a former Cricket Tasmania staffer in November 2017, the very day he returned to Test cricket after a seven-year absence. But the episode was just part of a wider dispute between the staffer and Cricket Tasmania, that is now to play out in court early next year.

In her October 2018 correspondence, the staffer did not shy away from the fact there was an ongoing legal battle between her and CT over allegations of theft - claims that she denied - but she wished to make it clear that her concerns about Paine’s conduct, and the sending of an unsolicited “dick pic”, were part of a wider pattern of behaviour she had experienced in her time with the state association. She named Shannon Tubb, who had left CT earlier in the year in a confidential settlement, as reportedly being another sender of explicit text messages.

Also outlined was a failed attempt at conciliation between her and CT that had taken place earlier in October, and efforts to keep the matter private rather than public. As CA dealt in parallel with the very public fallout from the review of the culture review, culminating in the resignation of the then chair of the board, David Peever, on November 1, the email bounced around the governing body’s internal channels.

Eventually, on Monday, November 12, CA’s head of legal, Christine Harman, replied briefly. She indicated that as the former staffer’s complaints were “regarding two employees at CT”, and that the dispute was with the state association, it did not “seem appropriate” for CA to intervene.

It was an invidious situation for CA in a constitutional sense. While the state associations are widely considered by the general public to be subsidiaries of the central governing body, the reverse is, in fact, true. CA was first formed, and remains constituted, as a collective of the six state associations. That means CT is, in fact, a joint owner of CA - not exactly an arrangement that would allow the central body to intervene.

The day before, the Australian men’s limited overs team had completed a series in which they were roundly defeated by South Africa, underlining the pressure being brought to bear at all levels of the game - whether on or off the field.

The former staffer’s reply indicated that, having received no aid from CA, she was compelled to consider taking the matter to the media - specifically mentioning A Current Affair. That conclusion was followed up in the next round of correspondence on December 7, when a request was made for an apology, and a payment of $40,000 to cover the former staffer’s legal fees. “I’m aware,” she wrote in part, “that cricket would like me to go away.“

December 7 happened to be day two of the first Test of that summer’s series against India. While the backroom correspondence continued, the national team stumbled to 7-191 in reply to India’s first innings of 250, on the way to a narrow defeat that would help set-up a first ever win in Australia’s for Virat Kohli’s team.

A few weeks later, and as the Boxing Day Test was in full swing, the former staffer came close to meeting with ACA to tell her story. On reflection, noting the personal toll such a move would take on her life and family, the staffer chose to withdraw from the meeting, and any decision to publicise the dispute with CT and CA.

The Test match was another low point for Australia that summer, both on and off the field. India won by a wide margin, while the week’s public interest oxygen was taken up by a Steve Smith press conference in Sydney press on December 22 before he took a sojourn to the United States, and then an interview from Cameron Bancroft - with the commentator Adam Gilchrist - during lunch on day one of the game.

There was one more round of this hidden dialogue to take place during the Test summer. Through her legal counsel at the time, the former staffer had contacted Sean Mulcahy, a former journalist, producer and agent with long-term relationships in cricket. He knew, for instance, Paine’s manager James Henderson.

Mulcahy, having established that the staffer no longer wanted to take the story public through the media, instead set up a meeting with two representatives of CA in a Crow’s Nest Cafe prior to the final Test against India at the SCG.

At that meeting, Mulcahy handed over printed copies of the full text and picture message history between the staffer and Paine. They detailed how, beginning in early 2017, a largely practical, procedural exchange based on Paine’s reviving international career and the staffer’s role as the CT receptionist, had turned another way in November of that year. Playful flirting suddenly moved in a much more explicit direction.

Those exchanges were left in the possession of CA and taken back to the governing body’s Melbourne headquarters. The staffer, meanwhile, appeared to settle on the conclusion that though she was still in need of resolution to the issues with CT, she would not make the matter public: she didn’t want to do it to Paine, she didn’t want to do it to herself.

Paine, meanwhile, had accepted the fault in his behaviour, worked through it with his wife Bonnie, and went on to lead Australia’s Test side for another three years. He has related to the Herald Sun that he always suspected it would ultimately get out.

“I thought the issue was dealt with, but it always popped up around a big series, or at the start of the cricket season,” he said. “Over the last three years, there have been numerous times where media agencies have put to us that they had evidence, yet they never chose to write it.

“As to why, I’m not sure, but nobody else had chosen to write the story, but I knew it was going to come out at some point, as much as I didn’t want it to.”

Fast forward to November 2021, and the eve of an Ashes series. The story, in all its explicit detail, comes to light, and a devastated Paine feels no other option but to resign the office of Australia’s captaincy. That devastation, privately, was also felt by the former staffer who, like Paine, had considered publication to be an option she was no longer taking.

As Mulcahy stated this week: “It was always my understanding that she never wanted this matter to become public. She turned down the possibility of a big pay day to tell the story, yet she chose to stay quiet. I don’t believe she is the source of this story now being made public.“

A criminal case in the Tasmanian Magistrates Court, going into the details of the theft allegations by CT against the staffer, is set to go ahead in January next year. She is pleading not guilty.

Nick Cummins, who was chief executive of Cricket Tasmania at the time and has now moved on to the equivalent role with Cricket Victoria, has denied the state association did the wrong thing by the former staffer. On Friday, the former staffer lodged a fresh sexual harassment claim against Cricket Tasmania with the Federal Court. The 17-page document formed an originating application through the Australian Human Rights Commission Act. In it, the staffer mentions a third CT employee in addition to Paine and Tubb.

“I would broadly say, and this applies to Tim, we at CT, CV, CA, we’re a business, we’re a professional environment, that kind of behaviour isn’t acceptable,” Cummins told SEN. “We found it was consensual, that behaviour, it’s still not acceptable. If you want to do that in your personal life you can, but if you’re doing it with a work colleague it is still regarded as work. We’ve got to hold ourselves to standards and operate as professionals, but, no, we did not fail that employee.”

Paine was already out of the Ashes series, having elected to take an extended mental health break after the tumult of the preceding week. It is now unlikely that he will ever play international cricket again, having always been expected to retire at the end of this summer.

The rest of Australia’s players, including the next captain, were left feeling very much like Hazlewood had put it back in October 2018: “We’re Test cricketers 24/7, not just on the field.”

Via : https://www.smh.com.au/sport/cricke...ory-of-the-paine-scandal-20211125-p59c2f.html

 

[dildilpak]

What Tim did was undoubtedly morally wrong and a betrayal of his family, but it was one mistake and he has paid for it. I am surprised at myself for this but I’m starting to feel a bit bad for the guy.

Its not just a moral problem - he exchanged emails with a colleague, so one can term it a case of workplace harassment as well (especially if the lady in question hadnt asked for the pic) & in corporate terms thats a slam dunk case for firing. I cant understand how CA could have just written off the case earlier as consensual - they definitely tried their best to save him & threw the lady under the bus. Paine bought it on himself, no sympathies for him.

 

[Mamoon]

Mental health break )

Must be mentally tough to be a pervert.

Mental health is in fashion these days. Every quitter and every wimp is using it as an excuse to run away and hide.

No one cares about the team anymore. It is all about the individuals. This behavior is facilitated and encouraged by the woke crowd.

 

[Kohli The King of Chase]

In Oct 2021
Tim Paine: AsHeS wiLl Go aHeaD wHetHEr jOE rOoT iS tHErE oR NOt

In Dec 2021
Ashes will go ahead whether Tim Paine is there or not

Paine without “E” for Paine

 

[Robert]

Mental health break )

Must be mentally tough to be a pervert.

Mental health is in fashion these days. Every quitter and every wimp is using it as an excuse to run away and hide.

No one cares about the team anymore. It is all about the individuals. This behavior is facilitated and encouraged by the woke crowd.

Have you suffered a mental health episode? It feels horrible. Have a bit of compassion.

 

[Mamoon]

Have you suffered a mental health episode? It feels horrible. Have a bit of compassion.

This is the problem with today’s world - too much empathy and compassion for people who don’t deserve it.

Paine is a pervert - he was exposed and rightfully humiliated, and if it has taken a toll on his mental health, so what? He is a rubbish human being.

 

[OmarKhan99]

Said this quite a few times before on the threads relating to Paine's statements on Afghan women, and will say it again - most of the lot who speak of convoluted matters with such simplistic approaches are either very naive or just selectively woke. As this episode shows, Paine is clearly the latter.

However, looking at how he now needs a "mental health break", I do wish he recovers from this. I don't think a singular error warrants a societal isolation, but he definitely needs to learn the consequences of his actions. The fact he felt empowered enough to speak on Afghanistan, "elite honesty", etc. in the manner that he did (with impunity), while being aware that this episode has not been made public yet, illustrates that he didn't fully gauge the weight of his illicit actions. That needed to rightfully change.

Hope he comes back from this, though.

 

[Bilal Ahmad15]

Well, Tim Paine is finished for Australia, captaincy was the only thing keeping him in the team. I don't think he even got a hundred in international career.

 

[Nikhil_cric]

Ah. I remember his sarcasm when he responded to a journalist's question "Maybe I should take Virat's permission" and when he called Ashwin a *ickhead .

Who's a *ickhead now, Tim?

 

[Robert]

This is the problem with today’s world - too much empathy and compassion for people who don’t deserve it.

Paine is a pervert - he was exposed and rightfully humiliated, and if it has taken a toll on his mental health, so what? He is a rubbish human being.

So the global village reminds him who he is and helps him get well. If Paine did something wrong, then he has to answer to his wife and nobody else. Not you and not me.

There can never be too much empathy and compassion.

 

[Kohli The King of Chase]

Ah. I remember his sarcasm when he responded to a journalist's question "Maybe I should take Virat's permission" and when he called Ashwin a *ickhead .

Who's a *ickhead now, Tim?

Paine with E for Pain. What a lucky way to start ur career and what a disgraceful way to end it.

 

[Forum363]

This is the problem with today’s world - too much empathy and compassion for people who don’t deserve it.

Paine is a pervert - he was exposed and rightfully humiliated, and if it has taken a toll on his mental health, so what? He is a rubbish human being.

What makes him a pervert?

 

[MenInG]

Australia coach Justin Langer insists the door is not closed on the international career of Tim Paine, saying the former captain has learnt a brutal lesson but may yet have unfinished business with top-level cricket.

Langer on Saturday spoke for the first time about the sexting saga that claimed the captaincy of his close friend Paine, who stepped down from his coveted leadership position once his exchanges with a former employee at Cricket Tasmania were made public.

Paine then stepped away from all forms of cricket, prompting Langer to fly to Hobart to meet his former skipper as soon as he cleared quarantine after arriving home from a successful T20 World Cup in Dubai.

Langer and Paine forged a close bond as they tried to add some moral starch to Australian cricket in the wake of the sandpaper scandal in South Africa and Langer said it was a “no brainer” that he make a trip south ahead of next week’s first Ashes Test at the Gabba.

“He’s one of my really close friends and someone I admire enormously,” Langer said. “He’s probably, certainly in this generation of players, he’s one of the best people I’ve met in the game of cricket.

“He’s been our captain for a long time; he and I have been on a journey, like we have with all this group. He’s one of the best people I’ve met in cricket, so it was nice to go down and see him.

“He’s obviously shattered with what’s happened because he’s been such an exemplary figure in Australian cricket, for the last four years particularly. You’d have to ask him how he’s going. All I know it was important to go and see him.”

Paine has given no indication when, or if, he would return to any form of cricket and things move quickly in professional sport. Alex Carey is Australia’s new wicketkeeper, while Pat Cummins will make his captaincy debut against England on Wednesday in Brisbane.

However, Langer suggested it may be premature to suggest Paine has played his last match of elite cricket, although he had more pressing issues confronting him while his former teammates prepare for a high-profile home series.

“He loves cricket,” Langer said. “He’s 37, but he’s as fit as any athlete in our squad and we have some fit athletes here. He looks after himself so well; he’s very focused. His No.1 priority at the moment is his family, as you can imagine, and that’s how it should be. But I’m not sure we’ve seen the end of him. We’ll wait and see, that will be his decision.”

Paine said in his only interview after the texts went public that Langer had urged him not to step down in haste. Langer would not be drawn into that, nor did he offer any comment on the Cricket Australia board’s handling of the matter then and now.

“I’m very sad for what’s happened,” he said. “And now it’s hypothetical, so it doesn’t matter.”

Langer admitted he knew something of an incident when Paine was appointed but had no detail and was under the impression it been handled by Tasmanian officials at the time. But he said he only knew the scope of the matter a few days before Paine’s decision to step down from his leadership role.

“I had heard about it – I think I was getting on a bus on the way to England – about an incident,” Langer said. “Painey told me about it – that was four years ago. Literally, the first I heard about it after that was a day or two days before he resigned.

“I had no idea about an investigation, I didn’t know anything about that. I know the full story now and the context of it all and I certainly didn’t know it before. Whatever other people make of it is completely out of my control.”

Langer spoke of the pitfalls of searching for perfection from high-profile athletes who operate in the glare of the public. It was something he encountered, he said, when Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft were castigated and punished for their behaviour in South Africa.

“If you want to be in this business, you learn to grow and evolve,” Langer said. “You’re always under the spotlight. We live in a world of perfectionism, don’t we. We’re a very judgmental society.

“As I said in my very first press conference, when I was asked about Steve Smith and David Warner and Cameron Bancroft, there’s not one person who is asking questions or on the camera or is listening or watching who hasn’t made a mistake in their life.

“Our captain, one of the best, made a mistake and he’s paying a heavy price for it. What I see in this job and in the society we live in is that it can be brutal, but you learn your lessons. We live in an unforgiving society and that’s a real shame.”

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/cricke...-despite-sexting-scandal-20211204-p59eth.html

 

[MenInG]

Cricket Australia (CA) CEO Nick Hockley has backed Tim Paine to return to the country’s Test squad, saying he wants to see the former skipper ‘playing and performing’ for Australia again. (More Cricket News)

Paine took an indefinite mental health break from the game after stepping down as Test captain ahead of the ongoing Ashes 2021-22 in the wake of a ‘sexting’ scandal, which involved him sending inappropriate texts to a female co-worker in 2017.

“Would love to see him play again, for both his state and for Australia,” Hockley told SEN. “We want to see him back out there, playing and performing, as quickly as possible.”

Paine, who turned 37 on Wednesday, was handed the reins of Australian cricket at a time when the image of the game was in jeopardy following the ball-tampering scandal that happened in Cape Town in 2018. (Ashes 2021-22 Live Streaming)

Following Paine’s decision to quit, there were speculations that he might never play for Australia again as the wicketkeeper-batter was expected to retire at the end of this summer. Pat Cummins has been named Australia's new Test captain.

Cricket Australia also received a lot of flak for the way it handled the issue with Cricket Tasmania chair Andrew Gaggin calling it ‘appalling’ and ‘the worst since Bill Lawry over 50 years ago’.

Hockley said it was Paine’s call to quit as captain and “that was a decision that the board felt was appropriate” and it was trying to support him.

“The head coach has been down to see him, we’ve had members of our high performance set up go down to Tassie. The Tasmanian cricket community have put their arms around him,” said Hockley, who was appointed chief executive on an interim basis in 2020 before being made permanent a year later.

“We are all very, very concerned - to make sure that Tim is well supported. A lot of respect for Tim for owning his mistake and our job now is to really support him.”

https://www.outlookindia.com/websit...ptain-tim-paine-to-return-to-test-fold/404426

 

[James]

8 catches for Carey in this Test and some useful lower order runs, fully justifying his place.

It’s a long way back for Paine one feels.

 

[MenInG]

Former Australia captain Tim Paine's playing career may be over, with the wicketkeeper omitted from Tasmania's list of contracted players.

Paine, 37, stepped down as test skipper in the leadup to the home Ashes series after a 'sexting' scandal and took an indefinite "mental health break" from the game.

A Cricket Tasmania spokesperson said on Thursday Paine was not given a contract by his home state because he was still on mental health leave from national governing body Cricket Australia.

Paine was accused by a former Cricket Tasmania receptionist of sending sexually explicit messages to her four years ago but the cricketer said they were consensual.

He was cleared by an internal investigation in 2018 which was not revealed to the public until late last year.

Paine's accuser Renee Ferguson has launched a sexual harrassment claim against Cricket Tasmania.

Ferguson has separately been accused of stealing money from Cricket Tasmania and her case is before a Hobart court.

She denies the allegations.

https://sportstar.thehindu.com/cric...tted-from-state-contracts/article38489089.ece

 

[MenInG]

Former Test captain Tim Paine ticked “all of the boxes” physically and emotionally before Tasmanian selectors made the unanimous call to select him for a Sheffield Shield return this week.

Paine flew out of Hobart with his teammates on Tuesday for the clash against Queensland at Allan Border Field Thursday, his first top-level game since a sexting scandal cost him the top job.

The 37-year-old stepped away from all forms of the game last year in the wake of revelations that he sent explicit phone messages to a Cricket Tasmania employee. The scandal ended his 35-Test career.

But new Tasmanian coach Jeff Vaughan said Paine walked in to his office in the middle of the year declaring his intention to return and after months of training selectors wanted “one of the world’s best wicket keepers in our side”.

Paine returned to club cricket in Tasmania last weekend and Vaughan saw enough to pick him for this week’s Shield opener.

“We have absolute faith and trust in Tim and his preparation,” Vaughan said on Tuesday.

“Physically he’s probably in the greatest spot of his physical career, emotionally he’s sound. He’s tricked all of the boxes to be available for selection.

“It was quite unanimous we wanted one of the world’s best wicket keepers in our side.”

Vaughan said the coaching staff had “no idea” what would happen when Paine first returned to training but was excited to have him in their team.

“He came into our office a couple of months ago and stated he was keen to get back in to training. At that stage we had no idea where it was going to lead,” he said.

“We invited him in to training, he’s trained really well. He’s batted beautifully in the nets. We’re really fortunate to have a wonderful cricketer but a wonderful human as well.”

Paine does not have a contract with Cricket Tasmania for the season but his Shield inclusion could also be a precursor to a Big Bash return. The Hobart Hurricanes have one spot on their playing roster still to fill.

Australian Test stars Usman Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne have both been named for Queensland for the Shield clash.

https://www.foxsports.com.au/cricke...e/news-story/2e69f227610f59b97b49afba7f85fbec

 

[MenInG]

Former Australia captain Tim Paine has accused South Africa of ball-tampering in the match that immediately followed the infamous 2018 Newlands Test which saw the Australian team engulfed in the 'Sandpapergate' scandal.

Paine, who stepped down from the captaincy late last year and withdrew from cricket for nearly a year, made the comments in his autobiography, “The Price Paid,” which was released on Tuesday.

Australia suspended former captain Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft after Bancroft was caught on camera with a piece of sandpaper on the field during the Cape Town Test of the South Africa tour.

Read: Ball-tampering: Why it cut Australian cricket so deep


However, Paine said he then saw South Africa ball-tampering in the next Test in Johannesburg.

“Think about that. After everything that had happened in Cape Town, after all the headlines and bans and carry on,” the wicketkeeper wrote.

“I was standing at the bowlers' end in the next Test when a shot came up on the screen of a South African player at mid-off having a huge crack at the ball.”

Paine said the TV director immediately pulled the shot off the stadium screen.

“We went to the umpires about it, which might seem a bit poor, but we'd been slaughtered and were convinced they'd been up to it since the first Test,” he wrote.

“But the footage got lost. As it would.”

Cricket South Africa and the South Africa team were unable to provide immediate comment to Reuters on Tuesday.

Though Cricket Australia (CA) sanctioned the three players, media have long speculated as to whether other members of the team were involved.

Bancroft last year told The Guardian that it was “self-explanatory” that Australia's bowlers had to be aware of the ball-tampering.

Australia's bowlers have denied any knowledge of the plan.

Paine also denied the scheme was common knowledge in the dressing room but said the team should have taken responsibility as a whole rather than let the blame fall solely on the three players.

“Everyone was a part of it to some degree — would it have worked out better for those three players if we had owned it as a team? I think it would have, he said.

Abandoned
Paine also wrote that he felt pressured to resign from the Test captaincy by a public relations consultant employed by CA.

Paine stepped down in the wake of revelations he had been investigated by CA's integrity unit in 2018 over a 'sexting' scandal involving a former Cricket Tasmania staffer.

Though Paine was cleared by the investigation, he said he felt “abandoned” by CA once the story became public.

“I felt they were driven by the need to protect their image ... They were hanging me out to dry.”

CA declined to comment on the issue of Paine's resignation but said it was glad the 37-year-old had returned to the game.

Paine ended a nearly year-long absence from elite cricket this month with his Tasmania return in the domestic Sheffield Shield.

 

[James]

What a load of rubbish about the ball tampering. Who cares what this guy thinks? Failed player and a failed captain

 

[Usergame]

The real question is where can I access this pic?
I want to see it.

 

[FearlessRoar]

Former Australian Test captain Tim Paine is continually frustrated by the cricket played in the Sheffield Shield.

Taking a close look at the game between Tasmania and Western Australia which finished in a draw on Day 4 on Monday, Paine was disappointed to see neither team push for a win.

While a win would have been unlikely at the start of the day when WA started batting with a target of 450 set, they finished on 2/242 with 25 overs remaining with Cameron Green and Cameron Bancroft both not out on centuries.

Paine thinks at the very least that the home side should have bowled late on Day 3 to try and make inroads into the WA lineup.

“Shield cricket just keeps disappointing me if I'm totally honest,” Paine told SEN Tassie Breakfast.

“That was a game that both teams could have won, and no one tried to win it.

“I think Tasmania could have declared earlier. They could have put the foot on the gas earlier in their second batting innings to get as many runs as they wanted. I don't care about the runs, but they should have been bowling the night before.

“I'm sure there's a reason … but I was a bit frustrated with that from a Tasmanian point of view and I know the wickets flat at Bellerive and it's hard to get wickets on the last day.

“But I also know to get wickets on the last day, you've got to set a team a total that they can get, so they're constantly chasing and playing shots which allows you to create opportunities.

“Tassie should have bowled the night before, even if it was 20 minutes. Show the intent that you're trying to win the game.”

With 25 overs remaining and 208 runs needed to win, Paine thinks WA also could have chased the target as they needed just 8.32 runs an over.

As the batting order possessed genuine firepower, Paine thinks they could have done more to at least attempt to win, particularly as two guns were at the crease on triple figures.

“Did you see the score when the game was called off?” Paine asked. “Western Australia were 2/242, you’ve got two guys, two of the best players in the competition on 100 not out.

“For the next 25 overs, you're chasing eight an over. Why wouldn't they have tried to get there?

“They had Hilton Cartwright coming in, Aaron Hardie, Josh Phillippe and you’ve got Cameron Green on 100 and Cameron Bancroft on 100.

“You need eight and over. It's like chasing 160 in a 20-over game.

"What is going on? Why aren't teams trying to win games of cricket? Both teams could have won that game and neither tried.”

Even though the draw meant that Tasmania remained first and WA remained third and in touching distance of Victoria in second, Paine thinks that playing for draws isn’t great for the game and he thinks that players need to show they can win at the state level to go on and represent their country.

“It's not great for the game,” Paine said.

“I probably would have gone and watched with the two batters that were in and the game being up in the air.

“If guys want to play cricket for Australia, you’ve got to win games for your state and you’ve got to stand up in moments like that afternoon.

“We would have loved to have seen Riley Meredith steam in and bowl them out.
“From a WA perspective, imagine if Cameron Green got 180 not out, what a statement that would have been to the Australian selectors before the New Zealand Tour.

“You want to see players performing under pressure when the game is on the line, not in a second innings when we're just playing for draws.”

Tasmania’s next Shield game begins on Friday, March 1 where they host Victoria in a battle for top spot.

“Just keeps disappointing me”: Tim Paine’s issue with Sheffield Shield cricket

“It's not great for the game.”

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