Ashes 2019: Tim Paine on the Waugh path in bid for series win

One of these men was the last to captain a winning series in England; the other hopes to be the next.

Former Australian cricket captain Steve Waugh with current captain Tim Paine and his baby in London yesterday. Picture: Backgrid

One of these men was the last to captain Australia to an Ashes win in England; the other hopes to be the next.

Captain Tim Paine was ­focused on his young son Charlie yesterday ahead of the second Ashes Test starting tomorrow at Lord’s, but took the chance to walk the baby and catch up with Steve Waugh at the same time.

Waugh, whose son Austin is 19 and a rising cricket talent, is in ­England as a mentor to the team and brings with him knowledge of what it takes to win where so many have tried and failed.

Waugh led the Australians to a 4-0 victory in 2001. Coach Justin Langer played one Test in that series­, scoring a century at Lord’s, and has never hidden his admiration for his former skipper.

On the field, Paine tells today in his column for The Australian that it’s another former captain who has quickly become a vital sounding board: Steve Smith.

“Steve was the captain, he has a brilliant cricket mind and he’s smart,” he writes. “I use his advice more than anyone else on the field, primarily because he is the closest to me and because he is the most know­ledgeable. We are blessed to not only have him in the team winning games for us but to have him in the dressing rooms. He sets a great example for the young guys.

“He is passing on those learnings the same way a Ricky Ponting or Michael Clarke or Steve Waugh or Allan Border did.

“You need to have great players in your squad to pass on the knowledge.”

Smith, who was stripped of the captaincy for his role in the sandpaper scandal, contributed two remarkable centuries to help ­deliver victory at Edgbaston.

Paine admits returning to Lord’s, where he received his first Test cap, along with Smith in 2010, will be special. “It’s been a strange journey for both of us, but we’re both back here where it started in what seems like a lifetime ago. It’s a special place for cricket and a special place for Steve Smith and me.”