Tim Paine’s brother lashes out at ‘double standards’ after Ashes win

Australia wrapped up a dominant Ashes win but Tim Paine’s brother was angry the former skipper didn’t get a proper send-off.

Tim Paine’s brother says the former Australian captain was “shafted” by Cricket Australia and not being allowed to finished his career on a high with an Ashes victory was “gut-wrenching”.

Australia wrapped up a dominant 4-0 Ashes series victory on Sunday night with a 146-run win after England’s batting collapsed yet again in dire fashion.

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Entering the twilight of his professional career, most cricket pundits assumed the 2021/22 summer would be Paine’s last in the national set-up. A day-night Ashes Test at his home ground would have been the perfect send-off for the 37-year-old, who was the poster boy of Australian cricket following the infamous ball-tampering saga of 2018.

But in Paine’s absence, it was new skipper Pat Cummins raised the trophy on the podium and celebrated at Hobart’s Blundstone Arena.

Paine resigned as Australian captain just days before the start of the Ashes after revelations of a sexting scandal with a Cricket Tasmania employee in 2017. Ahead of the final Test in his home city of Hobart, Paine and his family fled Tasmania to go on holiday in an attempt to escape the spotlight during his home Test.

Taking to social media on Sunday night, Nick Paine slammed Cricket Australia’s handling of his brother’s exit from the top job, while also lamenting the fact the ex-captain wasn’t given the chance to have a fairytale finish to his Test career on his home ground.

Tim Paine didn’t get to finish his Test career on a high. (Photo by Mike Egerton/PA Images via Getty Images)

“Pretty hard to watch this knowing full well that one of the key people in resurrecting the reputation of Cricket Australia and this team was shafted by that very same organisation because of a personal mistake he made nearly 4 years ago,” Nick said.

“He deserved this send off on his home ground in front of his family, friends and his long time supporters.

“It’s just a real shame that one mistake in life (that person was cleared and exonerated by an inquiry) can end a kids dream but then for others who make them, they come back and it’s all OK and in a way forgotten.

“Double standards from an organisation that clearly doesn’t have the back of its people.

“A local boy on his local ground in front of his people. Gut wrenching stuff.”

Paine played 35 Tests in his career but never got to play one in his home state.

The former Australian captain never got the chance to play a Test at his home ground. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

Cricket Tasmania chief executive David Baker said last week Paine had some “bitterness” about not being involved in what would have been a momentous occasion in Hobart.

“I didn’t know whether or not it was a good idea him being in Tasmania for the Test match, but I think probably in hindsight it was the best thing,” Baker told SEN.

“Tim didn’t want this to be about Tim Paine not playing. He wanted this to be about Tasmania celebrating an Ashes Test match, and Australia hopefully getting a convincing victory.

“I did have a chat to him this morning, and there was that little bit of bitterness in the voice from him around, ‘I’d love to be there’, but at the same time wishing us all the best, as we wish him all the best.”

Baker also said Cricket Tasmania was keen for Paine to make his return as Tasmania’s wicketkeeper for the remainder of the Sheffield Shield season.