Tim Paine dropped a bombshell on Thursday as he announced his resignation as Australia captain ahead of the Ashes after a sexting scandal in 2017 in Hobart.
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In a shocking development on Thursday, Tim Paine stepped down as the Australia skipper ahead of the five-match Ashes series against England. The main reason for his resignation was a ‘sexting’ scandal involving a former Cricket Tasmania Employee in 2017. In a press conference in Hobart, a tearful Tim Paine said it was the right decision for him, his family and for cricket.
In a written statement, Paine was visibly emotional. He was in tears at some points of the press conference. The incident went back to 2017, when Paine was not even in the Australia cricket team.
In Paine’s revelations, during the year 2017, he was involved in a text exchange with a former Cricket Tasmania Colleague. The texts contained explicit messages. Some media outlets reported that Paine had sent a picture of his g******s to the female colleague. The incident was a subject of Cricket Australia’s Integrity Unit Investigation. In this, Paine participated in it fully.
Tim Paine has said he’s “deeply sorry for the pain he’s caused” while stepping down as Australian Test Cricket captain over a sexting scandal.
— 10 News First (@10NewsFirst) November 19, 2021
Paine allegedly sent a female co-worker explicit images and messages. pic.twitter.com/5s4SKQRaL6
The investigation by the Integrity Unit and Cricket Tasmania HR stated that Paine had not breached Cricket Australia’s Code of Conduct. Paine sought forgiveness from his wife and expressed regret over the entire incident.
According to Paine’s statement, he became aware that the private text message exchange was going to become public. With Paine now the Australian skipper, he believed the incident in 2017 did not meet the standard of an Australian cricketer. Paine did not want to become an unwanted distraction ahead of the five-match Ashes against England. Currently, Australia holds the Urn. They won the 2017/18 series 4-0 while also reclaiming the Urn in 2019 in England after 18 years.
Basically, he has apologized to every stakeholder. “To Australian cricket fans, I’m deeply sorry that my past behavior has impacted our game on the eve of the Ashes. For the disappointment, I have caused to fans and the entire cricket community, I apologize. I’ve been blessed with a wonderful, loving, and supportive family. 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,” Paine said.
Yes, Cricket Australia has accepted Tim Paine’s resignation. However, he will be available for selection in the Ashes whenever the squad is announced. The Australian team has announced the squad for the first two Tests in Brisbane and Adelaide. With Paine gone, the likes of either Josh Inglis or Alex Carey might fit into the team for the first two Tests.
But, with Paine gone, who will captain Australia? The stage is now set for Pat Cummins to be elevated as the captain of Australia. This would be the first time in 65 years that an Australian pace bowler has become the captain of the side since Ray Lindwall in 1956. Lindwall captained Australia for one Test against India at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai.
Paine is already 36 years of age. With the likes of Carey and Inglis waiting in the wings, it will be difficult for Paine to make a comeback. His batting has often been criticised for not getting big scores. His leadership credentials have also come under question, having lost a series to India for two consecutive years in 2018/19 and also in 2020/21. With this latest scandal, Paine might be sidetracked or he could announce his retirement in the near future.
It would be a sad end for Paine’s career. He was suddenly picked out of the blue to captain Australia in the aftermath of the ball-tampering scandal in Cape Town. It was a bolt out of the blue for Paine, who was returning to the Test side after seven years. The high point of his captaincy was Australia regaining the Ashes after 18 years in England. But, apart from that, there has not been much success for him.
