Sydney: Australia’s players must be ready for a hostile reception in England over the ball-tampering scandal when they tour the country for next month’s limited-overs series, stand-in captain Tim Paine said, Thursday.
It will be the first series since the scandal for Australia, who will also play a T20 match against England during their June 13-27 tour, a warm up for the 50 overs World Cup in the same country next year.
“It’s certainly going to be raised. The English are going to be basking in the glory of what’s happened,” Paine said Thursday in Hobart.
“Guys are certainly going to have to be ready for that. If we can play well as a team and show we’re moving forward then hopefully the talk around that stuff will die off,” added the newly-appointed ODI skipper.
Knowing that a permanent ODI captain will be named later in the year, Paine is hoping he can at least take advantage of the situation to cement his place in the 50-over side.
“I certainly wasn’t expecting to be part of the one day set-up going forward – that was sort of the information I was given,” Paine informed. “My goal is to make it last. I want to be involved in the World Cup if I possibly can.”
Australia’s selectors have installed Aaron Finch as the ODI team’s vice-captain in place of the disgraced Warner and named the Victorian as captain of the T20 side – a clear indication of what may happen in future.
After the ball-tampering incident, Paine asserted the players cannot afford to go overboard again.
“There’s going to be times where it does get heated. We’ve just got to make sure we’re doing the right thing at all times,” Paine said.
“There will be comments about ball-tampering, but
if start playing well it will come to the forefront”
Tim Paine
