Tim Paine’s planned return from a lengthy injury lay-off was skittled by wet weather and ended with a swift, tight-lipped walk through a media scrum.
The former Test skipper stepped down from the role on Friday after it was revealed he sent lewd text messages and an inappropriate image to a female colleague in late 2017.
Paine is available for selection in the first Ashes Test against England on December 8 but questions are arising over whether he is still the best wicketkeeper for the job.
The 36-year-old had Saturday locked in for some weeks as his comeback from neck surgery for club side University at Hobart’s Queenborough Oval.
A wet outfield forced play to be abandoned in the mid-afternoon.
Paine wasn’t sighted at the ground before walking from the dressing sheds to a car. He didn’t make any comment to media.
Chairman of selectors George Bailey also declined to speak to journalists at the ground and was spotted leaving via a side gate.
Paine is not playing in Tasmania’s Sheffield Shield clash against Western Australia beginning Sunday at Bellerive Oval.
He is expected to take to the field in a second XI match for Tasmania against South Australia starting Monday.
There are no back-up wicketkeepers to Paine in Australia’s 15-strong Ashes squad, but glovemen Alex Carey and Josh Inglis are among Australia A fringe players.
“If he wasn’t the captain, would he have been picked in the first Test knowing the little amount of cricket or the form he has put on the board because of it?,” former Test opener and Tasmanian Ed Cowan told ABC radio.
“Without being the captain, I am actually surprised he didn’t retire (on Friday) because he is now under the pump and it’s the double whammy effect.
“What really is there to gain from a cricket point of view? I am surprised he is still playing, to be honest.”
It comes after Cricket Australia chair Richard Freudenstein said on Saturday Paine would not have survived as skipper in 2018 under the sport’s current administration.
Paine was appointed to the role in March 2018 after the ball tampering saga in South Africa forced Steve Smith to step down.
Cricket Tasmania says the lewd messages came to their attention in mid-2018 when the former employee was charged with stealing.
A subsequent Cricket Australia investigation that year cleared Paine of breaching the organisation’s code of conduct.
Cricket Tasmania chairman Andrew Gaggin has said Paine’s behaviour was not condoned but no further action was required because the messages were consensual.
Paine apologised to his family and the woman involved during a teary press conference on Friday but didn’t take questions.
Cricket Australia chairman Richard Freudenstein has admitted Tim Paine should not have survived as Test captain in 2018 as a result of the sexting scandal.
In a lengthy press conference on Saturday, Freudenstein claimed his current administration would not have cleared Paine’s actions if in charge three years ago.
The CA boss also revealed a review of all recent integrity decisions in recent years would talk place as part of the fallout of the Paine drama.
Off-field behaviour will also be made one of the key priorities in the appointment of a new captain, with officials left with just 18 days to appoint Paine’s successor before the Ashes.
But still, the focus of Australian cricket remains around the fallen wicketkeeper, who resigned on Friday as a result of lewd texts sent to a Cricket Tasmania colleague in 2017.
Just months into his captaincy, Paine was cleared of any code of conduct breach in 2018 over the text exchange, which included a lewd image.
“I cannot speak about the original decision making in 2018,” Freudenstein said.
“But what I can say is faced with the same circumstances and with the benefit of all the relevant information about this matter, Cricket Australia would not make the same decisions today.
“I acknowledge the decision clearly sent the wrong message to the sport, to the community and to Tim: that this kind of behaviour is acceptable and without serious consequences.”
When asked if his current administration would have endorsed Paine as captain in the circumstances, Freudenstein said he would not.
“Based with the facts as they are today, the board of Cricket Australia today would not have made that decision,” Freudenstein said.
But the interim chairman – who only took on the top job last month – insisted Paine was right to want to play on in the Ashes.
“The captain of the Australian cricket team has to be held to a very high standard which is why I think it is absolutely appropriate that Tim has resigned,” he said.
“The board of Australian cricket is comfortable he is available to play.”
Both Freudenstein and Nick Hockley insisted Paine’s fall did not undo the turnaround in cricket’s image since the ball-tampering scandal.
They also defended their own positions on the matter, adamant that action need not be taken earlier after they joined the board and executive.
In turn, the pair were also insistent that CA had taken steps forward, with greater education around social media and sexting implemented in the summer after Paine’s incident.
But there will now be a closer look at other integrity issues in the sport.
“Every issue is different. Every circumstance is different,” Freudenstein said.
“I’m very confident in the way integrity decisions are made and (with) the integrity unit.
“We will have a review back over the past few years. I’m sure that that will lead to no further changes.”
Officials had already planned on searching for Australia’s next captain this summer, with the expectation Paine would soon retire.
“I’m not going to make any comments about who is the likely (next captain),” Freudenstein said.
“You can be sure that part of that process will be trying to make sure to the best we are able to that those (integrity) issues don’t exist.”
Bludger
Guest
James Sutherland's fingerprints are all over this one. As a golfer, I think he should not be working at Golf Australia. We don't need his kind involved in our sport.
DaveJ
Roar Rookie
Well it sounds like that’s how it was interpreted by the integrity unit at the time.
Jeff
Roar Rookie
Possibly. I was more focussed on whether one party had instigated any unsolicited sexual exchange by sending an unsolicited sexual advance in the first place, rather than, once the sexting had been consensually established, the “You sexually harassed me. But you sexually harassed me first. Yes, but you sexually harassed me more” consideration.
DaveJ
Roar Rookie
That makes sense in terms of the exchange as a whole being consensual, but - without being well versed in sexual harassment law or practice- I’d have thought that introducing certain visual elements into the conversation might be regarded as a bit beyond the pale - or pole? - in some quarters, i.e. if the receiving party regards it as a bit confronting? Which was presumably the grounds on which she made a complaint to the Human Rights Commission, as reported.
DaveJ
Roar Rookie
It looks that way, but it seems like the Herald-Sun has had it for 2-3 years, so seems likely that they decided now for whatever reason it was good for circulation and no longer felt constrained to publish. Unless someone else had it at another paper and moved to the Herald-Sun or someone leaked it fresh to the HS. But if the original leak was in 2018 it doesn’t seem so likely that it’s related to the Poms.
Jeff
Roar Rookie
Yes I’d agree. Paine did respond, which establishes a consensual sexuallly-based exchange.
Paul
Roar Guru
All men from Tassie are lovers, not fighters aren't they Matt? Might explain Paine's actions. :happy:
Jeff
Roar Rookie
And yet now without the captaincy - his position is very much front and centre of discussion. As is the selectors need to make a decision.
matth
Roar Guru
Possibly, it actually depends on the reaction of the recipient. In essence, if they take it as harassment, then it is.
matth
Roar Guru
Interesting to see how Bailey would go in a Hill/McAllister face off though. Maybe 7 could televise the selection process and resulting MMA battle.
Chanon
Roar Rookie
Players are fully behind Paine & he took 6 catches today looks set for 1st test!
matth
Roar Guru
With fully 50% of that Board still in place.
Paul
Roar Guru
I read elsewhere Paine knew this story was out there in the media a few years ago and was waiting for them to trot it out, even though the incident had been fully investigated and closed. Perhaps you're right, but one way or the other the timing seems intentional, doesn't it? First England gets hammered with the racism issues at the Counties and now this.
Kim Hughes 1980
Roar Rookie
Paine should be removed from the test squad pronto
Clear as mud
Guest
Stop digging your hole even deeper
Stuckbetweenindopak
Roar Rookie
Not suggesting adultery but a well planned honey trap.
Jeff
Roar Rookie
I have a question re sexual harrassment in the workplace Dave. If saying “I’ll be thinking naughty thoughts about you today”, sexual harrassment if there is no history of previous such engagement between the two work colleagues?
DaveJ
Roar Rookie
And wasn’t the original decision more or less devolved to an integrity unit? Is Freudenstein saying they got it wrong? If so, do they have new people there now? Or does he mean they should have been overruled? My own suspicion - pure speculation- is that the fact that the complaint was made after the woman in question was charged with stealing affected how the complaint was dealt with - was it seen as malicious, a way of getting back at Cricket Tas?
DaveJ
Roar Rookie
Not a good look Jeff, wondering why it hasn’t been brought up before. However, in mitigation of CA, they may have been thinking Bailey is here for the long haul, Paine probably has only one season left and his position isn’t in question.
DaveJ
Roar Rookie
Are we seriously allowing the Barmy Army in? Is Covid good for nothing?