South Africa v Australia 4th Test: Tim Paine extends olive branch to South Africa in first act as skipper
AFTER three explosive Tests, the new Aussie skipper thought it was time for a bit of reconciliation in Johannesburg. So, after watching a football game in his hotel, he devised a simple strategy.
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THE Proteas praised Australia’s pre-game “hand of peace” gesture, an idea sparked from a soccer match beamed on South African TV.
Australian players were holed up in their Johannesburg hotel in recent days, cancelling a training session and limiting family time amid the sandpaper-gate storm.
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New Test captain Tim Paine put the time to good use, with a soccer game in his hotel room prompting the move that signalling a fresh start.
After three explosive Tests, the respective XI’s took the unprecedented step of shaking hands after the anthems.
Proteas opener Aiden Markram, who scored 152, praised new skipper Paine.
“It came form the Australian captain, Tim Paine. It’s great to see,’’ Markram said.
“There’s been a lot of drama this last week — it’s not nice to see. This was something nice to have done, to show there’s people behind this cricket side.”
Paine revealed how the plan was hatched after a tumultuous period.
“I’ve been watching SuperSport (South African sports channel) this week and they’ve had the soccer on and I notice they do that every game,’’ Paine said,
“I thought cricket is the gentlemans’s game and I spoke to our players about how it was something I wanted to bring in.
“I waited for Faf (du Plessis) to come out (before play started), spoke to him and he thought it was a good idea. Who knows, maybe other sides and South Africa may start to use it as well.
“It’s not something we are going to do every Test match but I think it is not a bad way to start a Test series, I think it’s something that we will use going forward, I just think it’s a good show of sportsmanship and respect.
“It was important we showed that today. It’s something we want to take forward and if other teams want to do we’ll do it to start every series.”
Paine has looked assured in his new role in the fourth Test at The Wanderers.
While saying that he wasn’t thinking beyond this Test, Paine admitted his captaincy style would differ from Steve Smith and other predecessors.
“My captaincy style will be — I’ve never been a big believer in the cricket team being the captain’s team, I think that’s a bit old school,’’ he said.
Originally published as South Africa v Australia 4th Test: Tim Paine extends olive branch to South Africa in first act as skipper