PAINE AT PEACE

Test captain focused on job, not chatter

TIM Paine is realistic that this could be his farewell summer but is not about to put a timeframe on how long he has left.

The Australian captain has hopes of extending his career beyond this summer. But as his 35th birthday approaches,

Paine understands cricket’s laws of the jungle and will not bow out kicking cans when his moment comes.

Speculation over Steve Smith’s leadership ban ending in March next year and talk of Alex Carey’s rise have combined to cast doubt over whether Paine would continue on after the coming home twin series against Pakistan and New Zealand.

Paine feels fit and fresh and has taken measures to try to prolong his late-blossoming career as long as possible. But the man who has guided Australia through the most tumultuous period in its history realises that his tenure won’t last forever.

In his mind, he is not viewing this as his last summer but neither is he ruling that prospect out. “No, not really,” Paine said.

“I haven’t given it a lot of thought. It might be. I’m not too sure. I haven’t looked at it that way at the moment.

“But as I’ve said many a time, I’m enjoying doing it. I feel good physically. I feel good mentally, so while that continues and I’m scoring enough runs and keeping well enough then I’d like to continue.

“But I know, when you get to my age, that can change really quickly. I’m not going to look too far ahead.

“I’m really looking forward to this summer. Beyond that, I haven’t looked too far.”

Other captains may have bristled at the foreshadowing of a successor when he is still in the room.

Paine’s close friend Ricky Ponting grew increasingly frustrated at the scrutiny of his captaincy and place in the team late in his career.

But not Paine. When the tap on the shoulder comes, or when he walks himself, Paine will retire a happy man.

“I’ll stop when I’m ready to stop, or when Justin (Langer) and ‘Cracker’ (selector Trevor Hohns) tell me that I am,” he said. “And when that time comes, I am ready for it. I’m not too fussed, to be honest.”

The Tasmanian never expected to get an 11th-hour second crack at Test cricket as a wicketkeeper, let alone the extraordinary circumstances that resulted in his elevation to the captaincy.

Perhaps Paine’s greatest strength as a captain is his calming presence, and his acceptance of speculation over his future will serve to relax the Australian team and hierarchy.

Paine is determined to get every ounce out of himself before the final whistle blows but is not motivated by the need to prove people wrong.

“I think years ago it probably would have bothered me. But now it actually doesn’t bother me one bit.

“I know what I want to do and what I want to achieve and I think when you’re the Australian captain and the Australian keeper, they’re two of the most critiqued roles in Australian sport.”