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Tim Paine apologises for his behaviour in SCG Test

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Last updated on 12 Jan 2021 | 07:07 AM
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Tim Paine apologises for his behaviour in SCG Test

The Aussie captain said that his leadership wasn't good enough and he ended up "looking like a fool" by sledging Ravichandran Ashwin

Australian captain Tim Paine on Tuesday (12 January 2021) apologised for his on-field behaviour during the drawn third Test against India, saying that his leadership wasn't good enough and he ended up "looking like a fool" by sledging Ravichandran Ashwin.

Paine has come under fire for a verbal duel with Ashwin when the Indian held vigil with an injured Hanuma Vihari to eke out a draw for his team, which was chasing a mammoth 407 for a win. Paine said he was "distracted, agitated and a bit grumpy at times" during the game.

"I spoke to him (Ashwin) really quickly after the game yesterday, as I said to him, look I ended up looking a fool, didn't I? You open your mouth and then you drop a catch and had a bit of laugh about that," he said at a virtual press conference, which he wasn't even scheduled to attend.

He said he decided to speak to the media to "address some things" after having defended his behaviour in the post-match presser on Monday.

"...I do want to apologise for the way I went about things yesterday on someone who prides himself on the way I lead this team and yesterday was a poor reflection of that," Paine said.

The 36-year-old wicket-keeper dropped three catches during the match, including of Vihari after the confrontation with Ashwin. Paine conceded that it was the pressure of the game that got to him and that affected his mood.

"My leadership wasn't good enough, I let the pressure of the game, I suppose get to me and it sort of affected my mood and then from there affected my performance," he elaborated.

"So, yesterday when I came off the ground, my reflection was purely on my wicket-keeping...I think I said to my players, I had a really poor game as a leader, not so much as a captain, but certainly as a leader.

"...yesterday I fell short of my expectations and our team's standard," he added.

According to Paine, his behaviour on Monday wasn't a reflection of the way he wants to lead the Australian team.

"So, I want to apologise for the mistakes that I have made yesterday. Certainly, as I said, not a reflection of the way I want to lead this team.

"We have set really high standards over the last 18 months and yesterday was certainly a bit of blip on the radar and something I felt I needed to come out and address," he asserted.

He was on Sunday fined 15 per cent of his match fee for showing dissent to umpire. Paine apologised for his behaviour with the umpires as well.

"Bitterly disappointed with the way I went about it, I felt that my mood throughout probably the whole Test match was probably a little-bit off. The way I spoke to the umpires early on day 2 was also unacceptable.

"So like I said yesterday I want to take that on the chin, it is not the way I want to lead this Australian team, it is certainly not a reflection of how I want to do it going forward," he added.

Paine also admitted that on Monday he fell short of his own standards and expectations in terms of playing the game by certain ethics.

"I always talk to our players about playing this game on skill and not on emotion and yesterday as I said I fell short of my own standards, and own expectations.

"...but at the same time, bit of self-reflection, being able to learn from it, being able to move on after the (Sydney) Test was important.

"I again apologise to our fans and people who heard some of the things I said yesterday, it wasn't good enough particularly from the leader of this team, said Paine, who used an abusive word to unsettle Ashwin during their chatter.

He, however, maintained that the relationship between the two teams remains friendly.

"...there is a healthy respect, it is very competitive, but it is all said and done. The way the spirit of this series is being played 99 per cent of the time it's been excellent. Yes, I had a quick chat with him after the game and everything was fine," he elaborated.

Paine attributed his poor show behind the stumps to his bad mood.

"...for me it was all around my mood, being a little bit tensed and not being focussed on my number one job," he said.

Paine also spoke to head coach Justin Langer after the game. The Australian skipper is now looking forward to the fourth and the final Test in Brisbane, which will start from Friday.

"I am looking forward to getting to Brisbane and bouncing back and playing the game more like Tim Paine plays the game, yesterday was a poor reflection of that, not something that I want to be known for," he signed off.

Smith wasn't scuffing Pant's guard mark, Indians would have complained if he did: Paine

Paine also defended star batsman Steve Smith, who was accused of scuffing up the guard mark of Rishabh Pant, asserting that the Indian team would have raked up the issue if any wrong was committed.

Smith, a former Australia captain, was seen scuffing up the batsman's guard during a drinks break in the first session on Monday. Pant made a whirlwind 97 to give India a shot at winning the match in pursuit of 407 but it ended in a draw.

"I have spoken to Steve about this and I know he is really disappointed with the way it has come across. And if you watch Steve Smith play Test cricket, that is something that he does every single game five or six times a day," Paine said in a virtual press conference.

"He is always standing in the batting crease, shadow-batting, as we know he has got those sort of many Steve Smith quirks, so one of them is he is always marking sand," he explained.

Paine said had Smith changed the guard marks, the Indian team would have taken up the issue.

"He (Smith) was certainly not changing guard and imagine if he was, then the Indian players would have kicked up a bit of stink (at) that time," he said.

"But that is something I have seen Steve doing many a times in Test matches and Shield games that I have played with him, when he is in the field, he likes to sort of walk up to where he bats and visualise how is he going to play," Paine elaborated.

Paine said given how this has been perceived, especially by cricket fans online, there would be reconsideration.

"...There is no way in the world, he was trying to change Rishabh Pant's guard or anything like that. That is just one of Smithy's thing that he does, now that it has come up like it is, again it is something he might need to look at because of the perception of it," stressed Paine.

After the video emerged, Smith faced criticism on social media by fans and former India opener Virender Sehwag.

"One of his mannerisms, as I said he does a lot, he was marking sand and he wasn't by any stretch of imagination trying to change guard or do anything like that," reiterated Paine.

In the 2018, Smith was involved in the ball-tampering scandal that took place during the third Test match against South Africa in Cape Town. Subsequently, Smith, along with then vice-captain David Warner, was banned for 12 months from international and domestic cricket.

He was replaced by Paine as the Australian captain.

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