The Australian Cricketers' Association (ACA) on Friday (November 19) came out in support of Tim Paine, despite the fact that he was at the centre of the sexting scandal, saying it is “saddened” that the Tasmanian “felt the need to resign” as Australia Test captain
The Australian Cricketers’ Association has attempted to defend former Test captain Tim Paine, saying in a statement they are "saddened" by his decision to step down.
In an emotional press conference, Paine announced his decision to step down as Australia Test captain with immediate effect after being investigated by Cricket Australia (CA) over sending an explicit image of himself along with a string of lewd messages to a female colleague at Tasmania Cricket in late 2017.
Following the shocking event, the ACA called Paine’s act "regrettable," but gave him their full support and said they didn’t believe he needed to step down as captain, as he had been cleared by Cricket Australia (CA) and Cricket Tasmania following an investigation into the incident in 2018.
The ACA said in a statement, “While respecting the decision made by Tim Paine, the ACA is saddened that he felt the need to resign from the captaincy of the Australian Test team.”
The statement further read: “While regrettable, this was a historical mistake that was a private matter between consenting individuals. Tim fully cooperated in an integrity investigation by Cricket Australia in 2018 in which he was exonerated. Tim humbly recognized the respect that comes with the Australian captaincy and his resignation reflects the esteem in which he held the role that he served so well in a trying period for Australian cricket.”
It concluded, “Tim's captaincy has been regarded throughout the cricket world as playing a crucial role in restoring pride back in the Australian team, both in their performance and the spirit in which they play the game. While Tim has clearly made a mistake, he will continue to have the full and unequivocal support of the ACA.”
(With PTI Inputs)
