Wicketkeeper Batsman Tim Paine has resigned as Australia Test captain just less than a month ahead of the home Ashes. His decision came after his sexting scandal in 2017. He decided to stepped down from the captaincy after the emergence of an investigation four years ago by Cricket Australia for sending explicit messages to a female co-worker. Although, Paine was cleared of any breach in that incident, but now the texts have came out in public and are going viral. The Australian Cricket board has accepted Paine’s resignation, it will be a difficult task for the management to appoint a new Test captain before the Ashes. Paine made the announcement of him stepping down in a press conference at Hobart on Friday.
Tim Paine married to a Musical celebrity Bonnie Maggs in 2016. In 2017, Paine was appointed the Australian Test skipper after the infamous ball-tampering scandal. Former skipper Steve Smith, then vice-captain David Warner and middle-order batter Cameron Bancroft were involved in that incident. Smith was removed from the captaincy and Paine got the responsibility.
Around that period, he began sending flirtatious text messages to an employee at Cricket Tasmania. The matter was investigated by Cricket Australia in 2018 after a complaint. Paine was cleared of misconduct and the matter kept secret. But that matter has again been in the news after those sexting messages were made public.
Here are the messages sent by Tim Paine to a female staffer:
Here’s what Tim Paine said in the Press Conference:
“Today, I’m announcing my decision to stand down as the captain of the Australian men’s test team. It’s an incredibly difficult decision, but the right one for me, my family, and cricket,” Paine read out from a statement at the presser.
“As a background on my decision, nearly four years ago, I was involved in a text exchange with a then-colleague. At the time, the exchange was the subject of a thorough CA Integrity Unit investigation, throughout which I fully participated in.
“That investigation and a Cricket Tasmania HR investigation at the same time found that there had been no breach of the Cricket Australia Code of Conduct. Although exonerated, I deeply regretted this incident at the time, and still do today. I spoke to my wife and family at the time and am enormously grateful for their forgiveness and support. We thought this incident was behind us and that I could focus entirely on the team, as I have done for the last three or four years.
“However, I recently became aware that this private text exchange was going to become public. On reflection, my actions in 2017 do not meet the standard of an Australian cricket captain, or the wider community. I’m deeply sorry for the hurt and pain that I have caused to my wife, my family, and to the other party. I’m sorry for any damage that this does to the reputation of our sport.
“And I believe that it is the right decision for me to stand down as captain, effective immediately. I do not want this to become an unwelcome disruption to the team ahead of what is a huge Ashes Series.”
Australia’s squad for Ashes 2021
Tim Paine (c), Pat Cummins (vc), Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser, Jhye Richardson, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Swepson, David Warner
