After a 2-1 Test series loss to India in the Border Gavaskar trophy 2021, Australia has been grooming future captains who can take over the current skipper Tim Paine’s position after his retirement.
At a function hosted by the Chappell foundation at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), Paine announced a major decision that could turn the fate of cricket Down Under.
Discussing the future of captaincy, the 36-year-old nominated Steve Smith’s name. Paine lauded Smith for his tactics and argued that the latter is one of the best in the business.
“I think so. Obviously I don’t make that decision but the time I played with Steve as captain he was excellent. Certainly tactically he is as good as you get,” Paine quoted as saying by news.com.au on Thursday.
Expounding the same, Paine drew parallels between his captaincy at Tasmania with that of Smith’s for the national side.
“He’s probably a bit like me when I was at the start of my captaincy journey in Tasmania — he was thrown into a very big role at a very, very young age and he probably wasn’t quite ready for it,” the Tasmania cricketer expressed.
Paine also remarked that all was going well for the New South Wales cricketer until the embarrassing ball-tampering scandal happened during the Cape Town Test in 2018.
“But by the time I came in he was growing into that role and getting better and better. Then obviously South Africa events happened and he’s not doing it anymore. But yeah I would support him getting that job again,” the Hobart-born admitted.
When asked about his remaining term as a leader, Paine remarked that he would feature in the role for at least another six Tests.
“At least another six Tests,” the wicket-keeper batsman adumbrated.
Reiterating the same, Paine asserted that he might draw the curtains on his international career if they whitewash the Ashes series 2021.
“If I feel like the time is right and we’ve beaten the Poms 5-0, what a way to go out. But it might be a tight series and we might be chasing 300 on the last day and I’m 100 not out and hit the winning runs — and then I might go again,” Paine concluded.
