Ashes 2019: Tim Paine planning to stick around in top job

Skipper Tim Paine is determined to keep winning with a rejuvenated Australian side whose deeds in England earned a congratulatory text message from Prime Minister Scott Morrison.

• Why Steve Smith is not a cheat

• Hunger game: We want to finish in style

A text message from Prime Minister Scott Morrison was a solid reminder for Australian captain Tim Paine how big an achievement it was for his team to regain the Ashes.

But amid talk it could be a crowning glory for the man thrown into the captaincy deep end last year, Paine said he was enjoying things too much to walk away now.

On the eve of the fifth and final Test, in a long campaign which he conceded had taken its toll, Paine said his phone went “berserk” after that win at Old Trafford which put his team up 2-1.

Stream over 50 sports live & anytime on your TV or favourite device with KAYO SPORTS. The biggest Aussie sports and the best from overseas. Just $25/month. No lock-in contract. Get your 14 day free trial

Skipper Tim Paine is enjoying his role too much to give it away. Picture: Getty Images

“I got a text from the Prime Minister which was very exciting, a first for me,” Paine said. “I’ve got his number now … I’m going to save it and I might ring him if we win this one.

“He was pretty pumped. (It was) along the same lines of messages we got from a lot of people back home in Australia – congratulations, everyone’s proud of us, Steve Smith’s a freak and make sure you finish it off this week.”

Paine will hold up the urn sometime over the next five days, wanting the scoreline to read 3-1 because his team “came here to win the Ashes. We didn’t come here to retain them”.

And the man thrown in to the job with Australian cricket at its lowest ebb, with his own career resurrected too, wanted to do more winning with a team coming together, fending off talk that walking away with the Ashes could be the ultimate end.

Tim Paine was chuffed to get a text message from Prime Minister Scott Morrison after Australia’s win in the fourth Test at Old Trafford. Picture: Getty Images

“I constantly talk to JL (Justin Langer) and Trevor Hohns about what might happen or how long I might go for, but I think we're all comfortable and we’re all on the same page so it’s all good,” Paine said.

“I’m loving doing what I’m doing and I think while you’ve got a job that you love you’ll try and do it for as long as you can.”

Paine couldn’t make any commitment to which of his hardworking fast bowling group would be fresh enough to play the final Test after four matches of all-in effort from Pat Cummins, and three from Josh Hazlewood.

But he said their long-term future, as well as winning the final match, were both considerations for selectors.

“We’ve said we want to keep these guys playing cricket for Australia for as long as we possibly can,” Paine said. “We’ve had a really tight turnaround and it’s been a long, tough series and we’ve also come off a World Cup so we’ve got to weigh up a few things.”

MORE NEWS

Waugh stands out as nest man for key role

Fast bowling great to join BBL

Paine also threw his support behind embattled opener David Warner to turn his own enjoyment of the game, which has been on display within the playing group despite scoring only 79 runs for the series, in to a score at The Oval.

“What I love about David is regardless of whether he’s been scoring runs, he’s exactly the same, he’s really consistent around the group,” Paine said.

“He’s the same competitive person on the field. When we’re in the field he’s not the type of bloke who, if he doesn’t get any runs, he shuts up shop and gives the team nothing.

“Hopefully he gets a couple of big scores this week.”