Cricket captain could teach the PM a thing or two about crisis management
Scott Morrison is certainly a big fan of Australian Test cricket captain Tim Paine — and the PM should take a page from Paine’s playbook on how to manage crises, writes John Rolfe.
Opinion
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Tim Paine and Scott Morrison. One has the most scrutinised job in Australia. The other is the Prime Minister.
For both, 2019 was a great year, although the Test cricket captain finished a lot stronger than the PM.
The two have been comparing notes recently.
They talked at length during the reception for the Australian and New Zealand teams at Kirribilli on Wednesday ahead of Sydney’s Pink Test beginning today.
They spoke earlier in the week as well, resolving to rework the reception into a sombre fundraiser for the huge firefighting effort.
Paine was very keen to find out what more his team could do to support the fireys.
I think ScoMo & Co could learn a thing or two from Paine’s leadership style and general demeanour.
They each inherited disasters.
For Paine, elevation to the top job was totally unexpected following the ball-tampering scandal that led to then captain Steve Smith being rubbed out for a year.
Morrison had a little more time to come to terms with the idea of being in the hot seat, but not much.
The turnarounds they have orchestrated have been remarkable.
However, I think the restoration of the Test team’s standing in the community has been the more extraordinary.
For one, Paine didn’t have a Bill Shorten making his task easier with his every action.
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ScoMo is the leader of the Tim Paine cheer squad.
At the reception on Wednesday he said: “I could not be more proud of Tim and the whole team and so I’ve texted him on too many occasions, Tim, telling him how enthusiastic I’ve been about it all but I want to thank you again Tim for your great leadership.
“I remember we stood here last year and it was a tough time for cricket this time last year and your leadership through that I think has risen you to be a great leader in sport and I want to thank you again for the way you continue to lead our national team so congratulations to you and all your team.”
2IC at the Tim Paine Appreciation Society is Australian coach Justin Langer.
This week he declared his captain to be “almost our most important player” for reasons including “leadership (which) has been brilliant” — quite a statement considering the team boasts the world’s No. 1 Test bowler and a batsman considered to be the best to play the game since Don Bradman.
Paine has revived the side’s reputation principally by reshaping its culture — the way it goes about its business.
Australia could have won the Ashes and obliterated both Pakistan and New Zealand yet still have been held in poor regard by the general public.
But with him in charge you can feel good about cheering on our national team.
Under Smith, cheating was green-lighted and then covered up in the March 2018 sandpaper-gate scandal.
And my enduring memory of his predecessor Michael Clarke will always be his words to England tailender Jimmy Anderson during the 2013 Ashes.
With Australian paceman Mitchell Johnson preparing to steam in, Captain Clarke said to Anderson: “Get ready for a broken f … ing arm.”
At the time, the English were nine down in the second innings and trailing by 387 runs. So it’s not as if the game was in the balance. Nor was the series.
It was the first Test.
Captain Paine does things differently. He’s cheeky, in a good-hearted way.
During the 2018 Boxing Day Test at the MCG, the stump mic picked up his gentle ribbing of opposing wicketkeeper, India’s Rishabh Pant.
Paine noted M.S. Dhoni had been called into India’s squad for the one-dayers after the Test series finished in Sydney and that Pant had been left out.
“We might get (Pant) down to the (Hobart) Hurricanes. We need a batter,” Paine was heard to say.
“You’d fancy that Pantsy — extend your little Aussie holiday. Beautiful town Hobart, too. Get you a nice apartment on the waterfront.
“You can come over for dinner. Do you babysit? I’ll take my wife to the movies, you can look after the kids?”
Now that is how to sledge.
A few days later the Test teams visited Morrison for the 2019 New Year’s Day reception and Paine’s wife Bonnie joined in the fun at Pant’s expense.
She posted an Instagram story with the Indian wicketkeeper holding baby Charlie Paine.
The caption said “Best babysitter @rishabpant”.
Politics is a serious business.
But wit and good humour is sorely lacking — whether it be to make a point or merely to bring some relief.
Instead ministers too often revert to stock phrases that lack intelligence or creativity, such as “I will not be lectured by” or “I reject the premise of the question”.
You won’t catch those words coming from Tim Paine.
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