Paine vows to carry on sledging

THE new acceptable faces of Australian cricket strode into Lord’s promising a fresh start yesterday — but admitted some old habits might die hard. Captain Tim Paine and coach Justin Langer have been charged with cleaning up Australia’s act after the toxic culture epitomised by David Warner exploded with the Cape Town cheating scandal in March. They begin against England in five 50-over internationals and one Twenty20 that will see them under intense scrutiny in front of hostile audiences. Paine and Langer insisted there will be no repeat of the ugly approach that culminated with the balltampering affair against South Africa and led to the downfalls of captain Steve Smith, Warner, Cameron Bancroft and, later, coach Darren Lehmann. But it doesn’t mean the end of that great old Australian tradition of sledging. ‘We want to be more respectful in the way we go about things,’ said Paine (right). ‘But we don’t think we will change the way we play, in a competitive spirit. ‘It’s the difference between abuse and banter. But we’re not going to be silent on the field. We’ll be trying to put pressure on the opposition as usual — but we know what’s right and wrong. ‘It’s up to me, Justin and the senior players to stay on the side of banter and never go to abuse. While I’m captain and Justin is coach, it won’t be accepted.’ Langer added: ‘If I play Uno, the card game, with my daughter there’s lots of banter. We sledge each other, but we don’t abuse each other. She wants to beat me, but if she abused me there would be trouble! ‘There’s no room for abuse on the field but there is for sledging as it’s a fun part of the game.’ It was cheating that stunned a proud nation as Warner ordered Bancroft to take sandpaper to a ball with Smith’s blessing. How will they put that behind them, starting today against Sussex and in a oneday series starting at the Oval next Wednesday? ‘Our reputation took a real battering,’ admitted Paine. ‘Coming to England now with a few new faces and coach and getting back into the game is a great opportunity for us to move on and show the cricketing world where we have made some changes.’