Aussie cricket captain Tim Paine’s shock fall from grace

AUSSIE CRICKET CAPTAIN'S SHOCK FALL FROM GRACE

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Tim Paine’s career has endured its highs and lows, but the bombshell sexting revelation will go down as his greatest shame. Paine stood down as Australian Test captain after reports emerged of a sexting scandal involving a former Cricket Tasmania female employee in November 2017. According to a News Corp report, Paine sent a sexually explicit photograph of his genitals and graphic sexual comments. It’s the latest chapter in what has been one of Australian cricket’s most remarkable careers.

Paine made his first-class debut against South Australia in December 2005, scoring a duck in his maiden Sheffield Shield innings. But after a promising few years, the blonde gloveman was rewarded with an ODI debut against Scotland in August 2009. When incumbent keeper Brad Haddin withdrew from a Test series against Pakistan in England in 2010, Paine was called up. He made his Test debut alongside future Australian captain Steve Smith at Lord’s.

Paine claimed his maiden Test catch in the seventh over of Pakistan’s first innings. But he had a relatively quiet series with the bat, failing to reach fifty in four knocks. After two more Test matches against India in October 2010, Paine was replaced by Haddin for the 2010/11 Ashes series. He would not get another opportunity to don the Baggy Green for seven years.

Paine broke his index finger during a charity match in November 2010, prompting an arduous recovery process for the gloveman. The injury required him to undergo seven surgeries that involved eight pins, a metal plate and a piece of hip bone. The numerous complications during the recovery kept him out of the game for two years. Recalling the experience on the Bounce Back podcast, Paine said it was a very dark time during his career.

"I didn’t sleep, I didn’t eat. I was so nervous before games, I’d have no energy. I was horrible to live with. I was pretty ordinary to my partner, who is now my wife. I was always angry..." Tim Paine

Selectors dropped a bombshell ahead of the 2017/18 Ashes series, recalling Paine for the first time in more than seven years. His long-awaited return started poorly, dropping a regulation catch off Nathan Lyon’s bowling on day one of the Gabba Test. But Paine finished the series with 26 dismissals — the fourth highest by a keeper in Ashes history — as Australia crushed England 4-0 . He averaged 48.00 with the bat, scoring a half-century in the second Test in Adelaide.

Australia’s tour of South Africa in March 2018 was a career-defining series for Paine. During the third Test at Newlands, Australia’s Cameron Bancroft was caught rubbing sandpaper on the match ball. Captain Steve Smith, vice-captain David Warner and Bancroft were all handed one-year bans. Cricket Australia then announced Paine would become the 46th Test captain of Australia for the fourth Test.

In the space of six months, Paine had gone from a second-choice state keeper to the Australian Test captain. He and new coach Justin Langer were framed as the figures that would lead the Australian men’s cricket team into a new area. As Cricket Australia underwent a thorough cultural review, the team’s mentality shifted from “win at all costs” to “elite honesty”. At the time, Paine said the idea was about building a culture that made cricketers want to be better people.

In October 2018, Paine scored a patient 61 not out against Pakistan to help the Aussies secure an unlikely draw in Dubai. But after returning Down Under that summer, Australia suffered its first Test series defeat to India on home soil. However, the wicketkeeper was heaped with praise for his non-abusive sledging. Six months later, Paine and his Australian teammates retained the Ashes in England for the first time in 18 years.

India returned to Australia for the 2020/21 summer, and Paine found himself embroiled in a sledging saga on the final day of SCG Test. As the match started to slip away, Paine was overheard calling Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin a “d***head” on stump microphones. To make matters worse, Paine dropped a simple catch off Mitchell Starc’s bowling a few minutes later. Paine later apologised, but the incident raised questions about his leadership and character, before Australia again lost the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Paine has now stood down as Australian Test captain after it emerged he was investigated by the game's governing body over the sexting scandal. Cricket Australia, however, has confirmed Paine is still eligible to play in the summer's Ashes series. An emotional Paine fronted media in Hobart and said he was sorry for the damage and embarrassment his conduct had caused the sport. Paine will be taking an indefinite break from cricket and may never play Test cricket again

"To Australian cricket fans — I’m deeply sorry that my past behaviour has impacted our game on the eve of the Ashes. For the disappointment I have caused to fans and the entire cricket community, I apologise." Tim Paine

Words: Nic Savage Producer: Andrew Piva in partnership with Learn more