Cricket Australia deserted me: Tim Paine’s stunning claims on Test captaincy resignation

Tim Paine made stunning claims about his Test captaincy resignation, saying he was deserted by Cricket Australia. Paine stepped down from the position and took depart after his historic sexting scandal grew to become public final November.

New Delhi ,UPDATED: Oct 25, 2022 12:44 IST

Tim Paine stepped down as Australia Test captain in November 2020. (Reuters Photo)

By India Today Web Desk: Former Australia Test captain Tim Paine claimed {that a} newly employed public relations marketing consultant made him hand over his captaincy whereas Cricket Australia “abandoned” him.

Paine, who stepped down from the position and took a depart after his historic sexting scandal grew to become public final November, criticised Cricket Australia CEO Nick Hockley for taking a “back seat” whereas the unnamed PR individual known as the pictures.

In his autobiography ‘The Price Paid’, Paine mentioned he didn’t get any “support” from Cricket Australia and added that it was apparent the board wished him to go.

“It was becoming obvious what Cricket Australia wanted me to do but they didn’t have the courage to say it themselves, they were letting their hired consultant run the show. They’d held a gun to my head. I couldn’t go on without their support,” Paine wrote, in keeping with 7news.com.au.

“I was disappointed and I was tired of this. I was prepared to cop the flak for what I did, but in my mind Cricket Australia had abandoned me and made it look like they thought I’d sexually harassed someone and so everyone else would think that too. I felt like them flipping almost vindicated the story.”

Paine revealed that Cricket Australia had years in the past investigated his actions with the Tasmanian cricket worker and located no wrongdoing however again stabbed him when the dialog grew to become public.

“We did a phone link which included this person they’d hired from a public relations firm who’d apparently given advice to the board in the past. I found it very strange that this person, someone I’d never met and someone who did not work at Cricket Australia, took the lead the call while Nick, the chief executive, took a back seat. The consultant then said that the best way to get ahead of the story was if I stood down as captain.”

While Paine admitted that his actions have been incorrect and induced hurt to his household, the previous Australia Test captain mentioned that it was reciprocally consensual.

“I knew what had happened. Cricket Australia knew what had happened and in my mind this guy didn’t know, or worse than that, it was like he believed that I had sexually harassed her. Then Nick chimed in, saying how experienced this guy was and how he thought I should listen to his advice. I said, ‘Do you want me to resign as Test captain, Nick?’

“He couldn’t give me a straight reply, or wouldn’t. He saved speaking round in circles. And this man mentioned, ‘If you resign as Test captain it will take the air out of it but if you stay on they are going to keep coming at you.’ I believe he mentioned I wouldn’t final till Monday and I replied that I’d in the event that they backed me in,” Paine added.

Published On:

Oct 25, 2022