Paine makes remarkable rise to lead
CRICKET: As the scandal over ball tampering sinks Australian cricket further into the mire, spare a thought for Tim Paine, the Tassie boy wonder ready to accede to the Test captaincy.
Paine (pictured) is expected to be named as captain of the Australian side for the fourth Test against South Africa, with regular skipper Steve Smith and David Warner to miss the match for their roles in the scandal.
Paine, 33, who filled in when Smith and Warner stood down from their leadership roles during the third Test, is expected to be formally named today as Australia’s 46th Test captain.
Just 18 months ago he was spending many of his weekends on suburban Hobart grounds and seriously considering giving the game away. A combination of politics, planning and poor form had the long-term state wicketkeeper out of the Tasmania side.
He was digging in for University cricket club and had decided to quit for the security of a sales rep job in Melbourne.
“He had the deal,” said grade cricket teammate Josh Bean.
“He’d picked his car as his rep car. He was ready to go to Kookaburra. His wife had gone and looked around at what part of Melbourne she wanted to live in.”
It took two former Test captains to arrest the situation.
The Australian wicketkeeping job was up for grabs and selectors thought Paine – behind Matthew Wade and next-gen hope Jake Doran in the state pecking order – had a role in the national team.
“I was there when he got a phone call from Greg Chappell,” Bean said.
“He said ‘I’m hearing some stories that you’re going to quit. Don’t quit. Just don’t. We might have some plans for you’.
“Ricky Ponting came to his aid and squeezed out a oneyear deal for him after Cricket Tasmania had said ‘we’ve done all we can’. And it all changed.”