India legend Sunil Gavaskar has stepped up his attack on Tim Paine, declaring the wicketkeeper’s behaviour on Monday was unbefitting of a leader and that his “days as captain are numbered”.
Paine’s antics on day five of the third Test, and those of some teammates, made headlines around the world after an epic draw at the SCG.
Stump microphones picked up some barbs that Australia’s skipper, who has helped turn around the team’s image after the Cape Town cheating scandal, directed at India veteran Ravichandran Ashwin during the 122nd over of the stonewall.
Paine claimed “at least my teammates like me, dickhead” during the spat, also mocking Ashwin by asking “how many IPL teams wanted you, when you asked every single one of them to have you?”.
Paine dropped a catch during the following over, while Ashwin dragged his side to a draw despite a sore back.
Gavaskar, commentating at the time for Seven Network, slammed Paine for his “ridiculous” and “unnecessary” verbals.
The former opener, whose name adorns the trophy on the line during the fourth Test that starts on Friday, was even more critical while analysing Paine’s poor finish to the tense Test for India Today.
“It was unbefitting of a captain of a national team to be talking about something other than cricket,” he said.
“You want to have a go at the opposition, you talk about their cricket.
“But when you talk about something else, it shows your frustration. It shows you are not able to bear the fact that the opposition is putting up a fight.
“The Indians had the last laugh. R Ashwin had the last laugh.
“I am not an Australian selector but his days as captain are numbered.”
Gavaskar questioned the tactical nous of Paine, who dropped three catches on Monday, suggesting the 36-year-old helped India escape with a draw.
“If you allow the Indian team to bat 130-odd overs without getting wickets – this is a very good Australian attack,” he said.
“Everything could have made a difference.
“Paine was more interested in talking to the batsman rather than his field placing and bowling changes.
“So I won’t be surprised if there is a change in the Australian captaincy after the series.
“He was a little bit disturbed, his concentration was not there after that little episode.”
Paine was fined 15 per cent of his match fee after being found guilty of dissent, having appealed to standing umpire Paul Wilson for some “f***ing consistency” during the game.
Paine regretted his language in that instance but felt the byplay with Ashwin was a case of “no harm done”.
“They were wasting a bit of time, we were getting a bit frustrated. We let him know, he had a bit of say back,” he said.
“It’s all part of the game.”
Matthew Wade’s sledging and Steve Smith marking Rishabh Pant’s batting guard during a drinks break also went down poorly in India as well as England.
“This is very, very poor,” former England captain Michael Vaughan said on Twitter of the Smith incident.
Once Upon a Time on the Roar
Roar Guru
Don't really disagree on too much Sheek, but I do feel another 2-3 years from Paine is a bit unrealistic. I would be happy for Smith to captain again, but 50% of fans aren't which makes it very divisive. I think Labuschagne is the best long term option. Don't go for head at all, mainly because I don't believe he is a good enough batsman to cement his spot in the team for the long term.
Once Upon a Time on the Roar
Roar Guru
I dunno about that Sheek. Bob Willis’s name certainly doesn’t rate a mention in discussions of the all time great captains in test cricket’s history but he did alright. Three wins from three at home in 1982 and 83 against a weak Indian team, a strong Pakistani team and a competitive New Zealand team that had Hadlee and Martin Crowe in their ranks. His only overseas series in charge was a 2-1 defeat in Australia, and England were still in a position to retain the Ashes going into the final test. England were missing at least half a dozen players of genuine quality, among them Graham Gooch and Graham Dilley, and during Willis’s tenure he prolly only had 5 or 6 players of genuine test match quality including himself, even if he was aging a bit in fast bowling terms. He didn’t do too badly. Still, he couldn’t play a captain’s innings and that is one of my main arguments against bowlers being captain. Agree about Cummins btw. Another problem with bowling captains is they are proned to either over bowl or under bowl themselves.
Paul
Roar Guru
"The Baggy Greens just require a reset in their commitment, which has become ragged recently." Great comment and exactly right. It has clearly been a tough summer, both on the field and off it, especially when things like the covid restrictions and all the question marks over venues, etc. I'm not surprised the pressure got to Paine. I'm not justifying his comments, but can understand his frustrations. Now if that had been Michael Clarke, for example!! Prior to the last days cricket, Paine had won the MOTM for his efforts in the First Test and had done some terrific things behind the stumps in the rest of the series, Now he's no good as captain and no good as our Test keeper on the strength of ONE off day, which didn't cost Australia a loss? Gee some people are hard to please.
Paul
Roar Guru
a boomer thing, eh? Don't remember the last time someone from gen Y or X actually admitted they did wrong, but really quick to criticise all and sundry. And they use examples as well to justify their comments.
TheGeneral
Roar Rookie
Lets talk about his batting. Current test average 32.4, Haddin 33. They are second only to Gilchrist, and far better than Healy and Marsh. I keep repeating he is a keeper/batsman not a batsman/ keeper. His average of 42 in this series is just behind Labs and Smith. Burns, Warner, Head, Wade, & Green have far inferior averages. Can you criticize them for not performing?
sheek
Roar Guru
Bernie, Willis was an ordinary captain, which wasn't his fault. He shouldn't have been put in that position. I'm convinced it took the edge off his bowling. Some people are saying make Cummins captain. This will be a terrific way to destroy his current effectiveness.
sheek
Roar Guru
Paul D, It's not because they're not good enough. But for all the bowlers & wicket-keepers, they have tiring positions as it is. That said, it's easier for a spinner to be captain before pacemen & the keeper. But Lyon isn't captaincy material.
sheek
Roar Guru
Brian, Because, if you hadn't noticed, fast bowling is a tiring business, as is wicket-keeping. While Cumminns is resting from a spell & still required to field at optimum, as captain, he would also be considering field placements & bowling changes. It would simply be too much for him. Okay if he were a genuine all-rounder, but he's an out & out fast bowler who can occasionally bat well. Under normal circumstances, Paine would not be captain either. But he was elevated in extremely exceptional circumstances.
sheek
Roar Guru
I like Sonny Gavaskar. He’s been one of the most circumspect & incisive commentators on Channel 7, where too much chatter & hype is the norm. But he’s wrong on Paine. Firstly, Paine deserves our tolerance for redemption. Secondly, options are thin on the ground. We still need Paine for another 2-3 years, assuming CA won’t weaken on Smith, which they mustn’t. If they do, there will be a riot. Anyway, that’s our reality – stick with Paine, never make Smith captain again. Sonny played his Indian career throughout the 70s & 80s when the captaincy was often shared around at whim. Bedi, Venkataraghaven, Gavaskar & Kapil Dev (& Gavaskar & Kapil Dev again) all rotated the captaincy during the late 70s & early 80s. In Australia, we take the captaincy very seriously, & try hard at finding long-term skippers. It’s anathema to our psyche to change captains too often. So I would expect CA would only dump Paine if the wheels well & truly fall off the wagon. This hasn’t happened. The Baggy Greens just require a reset in their commitment, which has become ragged recently.
bill
Guest
Why is it a boomer thing to immediately deploy "whataboutism" instead of just accepting someone did wrong?
Once Upon a Time on the Roar
Roar Guru
I'm not sure how you come to the conclusion that Gavaskar taking his batting partner with him and refusing to play like a sooky 5 year old in the back yard was not as bad as the under arm?
Once Upon a Time on the Roar
Roar Guru
And putting someone down by saying they have no friends is 14 year old school boy stuff. Embarrassing.
Once Upon a Time on the Roar
Roar Guru
Some bowlers have captained such as Bob Willis, Imran Khan and Kapil Dev although obviously the latter two were also batsmen. In the case of a pure bowler such as Willis, he can’t play a captain’s innings. Also, I suppose there’s always the risk of a bowling captain either over bowling or under bowling himself.
Once Upon a Time on the Roar
Roar Guru
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Mick Gold Coast QLD
Roar Guru
Nah Barry, I say Paine is a donkey for opening the door for Gavaskar to glide effortlessly in and milk the opportunity. His lot own the game and are far more adept than the ACB amateurs at capitalising on any advantage offered. Sunil Gavaskar left the field over 30 years ago. Apart from the good people who know the game as it was I reckon anyone under 53 has likely never heard of him and has certainly not seen him play. The South Africans will be looking forward to giving this incompetent dill plenty, and Weepy and the Tiny Tough Guy. The last time they fought the South Africans won near every round - in some of which they didn't even have to throw a punch. This mob of mediocrities have heard about "mental disintegration" but they don't know how it is done.
Mick Gold Coast QLD
Roar Guru
That's accurate TeamAustralia, this bloke is in his mid thirties and he's not learned a lot, eh? He does, however, easily meet the shabby standard now favoured for the Australian captaincy.
Tony
Roar Guru
I guess the difference is that we don't have either Greg or Trevor Chapple going on TV to criticise someone for being a bad sport and suggesting that their days as captain are numbered, unlike Gavaskar who has conveniently forgotten his day of shame.
Targa
Roar Rookie
Funny to hear Australians complaining about something Gavaskar did in Feb 1981. That's the same month that Greg and Trevor Chappell did something a million times worse!
maverick
Roar Rookie
What form are you talking about? His captaincy has never been great. And don't get me talk about his batting. His keeping was always good but it is starting to wane as he is getting old. Time for Cummins to be the captain.
maverick
Roar Rookie
Mr. good boy showing his true colour now,isn't he? Time for Paine to go. His on field tactics are bog average and his keeping is starting to wane which is no surprise considering he is 36 or 37.