Former Australia Test captain Tim Paine spoke of his "distress" and "embarrassment" over a sexting scandal that cost him his captaincy, but revealed that coach Justin Langer wanted him to continue with his job.
On Friday in a tearful press conference, 36-year-old Tim Paine resigned as Australia’s Test captain, three weeks ahead of the Ashes 2021-22 against England. This was after a report became public of how he sent lewd sex messages and naked photos of his genitals to a former female colleague in Tasmania cricket ahead of Ashes 2017-18.
It was also revealed in the report, how Cricket Australia and Tasmania cricket cleared Paine of any wrongdoing, and CA actually appointed Paine as the new permanent Test captain in the wake of the ball-tampering scandal.
Current CA chairman Richard Freudenstein, who was elected to the board in 2019, on Saturday admitted it was the wrong call and said Paine should have been axed at the time.
Paine insisted it was his decision to resign and he wasn't pushed.
"It was mine and mine alone. It was hard, but I know it's the right thing to do. I feel completely gutted, but it's all my doing, and I know resigning is the right call,” he told the Melbourne Herald Sun in an interview.
Saddened that Tim Paine felt the need to step down as captain - ACA over sexting scandal
“JL (Justin Langer) told me he's devastated. He was pretty firm that he wanted me to continue as captain, and again, once I explained to him the reasons that I thought resigning was the best thing to do, he was with me all the way. I've got messages from all my teammates saying they've got my back, and that we all make mistakes, and we move on," he added.
Paine, who is married with children, said the text message exchanges began as normal communications with a Cricket Tasmania colleague "but then it became a flirtatious exchange that should never have".
Asked why he took it to the next level, he replied: "Maybe it's as simple as stupidity? Or an inflated ego? Or feeling needed or wanted, being flattering. Or that it was dangerous or risque? I don't know, I'm not sure. But I know I wish I hadn't, and it'll be a life of regret that I did.”
Paine admitted he always feared that the media would break the story and it had been a stressful time reliving the incident after he and wife Bonnie had worked through their issues. He also denied having any physical relationship with the woman.
He said, "I feel terrible, to be honest. Although Bonnie and I have both known about all this for three years, to have it played out like this is really distressing, and upsetting, and I'm really embarrassed. I feel sick for Bonnie, and for my family more than anything else."
(AFP inputs)
