Crash Craddock: Keeper-captains are burdened by the pressure

Before Tim Paine started his captaincy career no wicketkeeper had led Australia in more than eight Tests. Robert Craddock explains the reason why.

Tim Paine reacts after dropping Hanuma Vihari on the final day in Sydney.

The fact that only two wicketkeepers from any nation have captained more Tests than Tim Paine tells its own story about the day he felt the lid pop off his baggy green saucepan.

India’s MS Dhoni (60 Tests) and Bangladesh’s Mushfiqur Rahim (28) are the only names ahead of Paine (23) on the list of keeper-captains.

When it comes to Australians the numbers are equally revealing.

Paine comfortably leads the local list from old time gloveman Jack Blackham (8 Tests as captain) who played his last Test 127 years ago.

The moral of the story is simple.

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Captain Tim Paine produced a performance in Sydney he would much rather forget.

For 143 years of Test cricket Australian selectors — and most of their worldwide counterparts — have generally tried not to burden their keepers with the captaincy amid fears the stresses of the combined jobs will reach a point where their minds or their glove-work will go “pop”.

Paine felt them both go in the one day. And he lost his renowned cool with them.

Paine did well on Tuesday to bound on to the front foot and apologise for his cheap sledging of Ravi Ashwin whom he called a dickhead.

Given the Indians had been racially sledged by the crowd over the past two days, it was a bad word at a bad time.

Even the tone in which it was delivered was poor. It was the low point of a forgettable day for Australia.

The Australian wicketkeeper was quick to address his poor sportsmanship by calling an unscheduled press conference. Picture: AFP

Paine’s apology was sincere and humble and went some way to ensuring the wonderful work he has done as a leader since being thrown into the job mid-Test during the ball tampering scandal will remain his legacy.

There was no pressure from above for him to call an unscheduled press conference but after an anguished night of soul-searching he decided to lance the boil.

In the short term at least, it worked. The air seemed much lighter when his 23 minute conference ended.

But the challenges go on. Friday’s Gabba Test, against a brave Indian side down to their Bare Bones XI, will define Australia’s summer on and off the field.

Paine arrives at the Sofitel Hotel in Brisbane to prepare for the fourth and final Test.

Paine and his Australians somehow have to find the right line between playing strong, aggressive cricket and not being reduced to cheap taunts if things do not go their way.

Paine accepts there are no excuses for his behaviour but the pressures on keeper-captains should not be underestimated.

Adam Gilchrist was pushed to the brink of absolute exhaustion in India in 2004. He conceded there was times in that tour he felt on the verge of a major meltdown as he rode the rhythms of an epic series while deputising for injured Ricky Ponting.

When Gilchrist sat in bed at the team hotel sharing a cold beer after wresting the Border-Gavaskar Trophy all the stress seemed worthwhile. Paine will hope for the same result.