Tim Paine publicly apologises for sledging R Ashwin, lashing out at umpires in SCG Test

Australian captain Tim Paine was visibly frustrated during the final day of the India vs Australia 3rd Test. His annoyance saw him resort to some dirty sledging in an attempt to get under the skin of Indian batsmen R Ashwin and Hanuma Vihari. The Australian stumper was constantly at it as he tried to distract the Indian duo by provocative chatter. As the game was moving towards a draw, Paine's verbal exchange kept on increasing.

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Tim Paine issues apology for dirty sledging during India vs Australia 3rd Test

On Tuesday, Paine held an impromptu press conference and issued an apology to Indian cricket fans for his misdemeanour on the field. Paine said that he wanted to apologise for the mistakes he made. He added that it was certainly not a reflection of how he wants to lead the team. Paine further said that the Australian team had set high standards over the last 18 months and yesterday, it was a blip in the radar.

The Australian captain reckoned that he needed to come out and address the issue because he was bitterly disappointed with the way he behaved and his whole mood during the entire course of the Test match was slightly off. Paine was also fined 15 per cent of his match fee for breaching Level 1 of the ICC Code of Conduct during the second day of the third Test against India at the SCG. Speaking about the same, Paine expressed his regret and said that the way he spoke to the umpires on Day 2 was disappointing.

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However, Paine accepted that he had to cope it on the chin. The 36-year old opined that it was not the way he wanted to lead the Australian team going forward. Paine mentioned that he talks to the players on how to play the game based on skill and not on emotion, however, he acknowledged that yesterday, he fell short on standards and expectations, something he was bitterly disappointed with. According to Paine, it is time for some self-reflection and learning from it to be able to move on to the Gabba Test.

Paine further said that he is someone who prides himself in leading the team but accepted that yesterday was a poor reflection of that. Saying that his leadership was not good enough, the Australian accepted that he let the pressure of the game get to him which in turn affected his mood and performance. Paine revealed when he went off the field, the reflection was on his wicketkeeping and on the whole game.

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Paine also disclosed that he said to the players that he had a poor game not as a captain but as a leader. The veteran wicket-keeper added that he is a captain who wants to enjoy the game and play the game with a smile but he fell short of his expectations and team standards. However, Paine said that he is human. In the end, Paine apologised to the fans and to all the people for whatever they heard from him.

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SOURCE: CRICKET.COM.AU