Cricket Tasmania chairman Andrew Gaggin has condemned Cricket Australia’s “appalling” treatment of Tim Paine, saying he should never have been put in a position where he felt he had to resign as Australia’s Test captain.
Last Friday, Tim Paine stood down from the role after sexually explicit text messages he sent to a female former colleague at Cricket Tasmania in 2017 were leaked to the media.
Cricket Tasmania Chairman Andrew Gaggin: Treatment Afforded To Australian Test Captain Tim Paine By Cricket Australia Is Appalling
The 36-year-old wicketkeeper, who has represented Tasmania since the 2005/06 season, had been exonerated by a Cricket Australia integrity review into the matter soon after becoming Test captain in 2018.
“In conversations, I have had in recent days it is clear that the anger amongst the Tasmania cricket community and the general public is palpable,” Gaggin said in a statement on Tuesday.
“Tim Paine has been a beacon for Australian cricket over the past four years and instrumental in salvaging the reputation of the national team after the calamity of Cape Town.
“The treatment afforded to the Australian Test captain by Cricket Australia has been appalling, and the worst since Bill Lawry over 50 years ago.”
Bill Lawry was notoriously sacked as Australia captain and dropped from the team ahead of the final Test of the 1970/71 Ashes series, only discovering his fate when informed by reporters. After Tim Paine’s resignation, Cricket Tasmania said that the former female employee had complained to them about the messages only after she had been charged with stealing from the organization.
Despite relinquishing the captaincy, Tim Paine still wants to be considered for selection as wicketkeeper for the opening Ashes Test in Brisbane on December 8. The decision will be made by a three-man selection panel comprising George Bailey, coach Justin Langer, and the recently appointed Tony Dodemaide.
Pat Cummins Frontrunner To Replace Tim Paine As Test Skipper
On Saturday, Cricket Australia chair Richard Freudenstein said that the current leadership team would have sacked Tim Paine had they been in charge in 2018.
“At a time when CA should have supported Tim, he was evidently regarded as dispensable,” Gaggin continued.
“The Cricket Tasmania board reaffirmed its view that Paine should not have been put in a position where he felt the need to resign over an incident that was determined by an independent inquiry at the time to not be a breach of the code of conduct and was a consensual and private exchange that occurred between two mature adults and was not repeated.”
Fast bowler Pat Cummins is favourite to replace Tim Paine as Test captain ahead of the Ashes series, which starts in Brisbane on December 8. The front runner for the top job in Australian cricket is vice-captain and bowler Pat Cummins, while former captain Steve Smith has previously expressed his desire to lead the side again.
In 2018 Cricket Australia investigated the sexting incident but cleared Tim Paine of any wrongdoing after they deemed, he had not breached the code of conduct.
Following Tim Paine’s resignation from the Test captaincy, doubts have been cast over his role in the side, with many calling for him to be dropped. Matthew Wade, Josh Inglis, and Alex Carey are the candidates to replace Tim Paine if he isn’t allowed to play.