Cricket Australia president Richard Freudenstein admitted on Saturday that the governing body should have removed Tim Paine as Test captain in 2018 following the sexting scandal that “sent the wrong message that such behavior is acceptable”.
A few weeks before the Ashes series against England, Paine abruptly gave up on a series of lewd text messages with a female colleague in 2017 which he learned had to be made public.
The incident was investigated in 2018 but Paine was acquitted Cricket The Integrity Unit of Tasmania and CA violated their code of conduct and were able to stick to it.
Freudenstein, who was elected to the board in 2019, insisted that Paine would not survive as captain in 2018 under the game’s current administration.
“While I can’t speak to the original decision being made in 2018 … With the benefit of all relevant information regarding this matter, Cricket Australia will not make the same decision today,” he said at a press conference.
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“I acknowledge that the decision sent a clearly wrong message to the sport, the community and Tim – that such behavior is acceptable and without serious consequences.
“The role of the Australian captain should be held to the highest standards,” he added.
Paine took over the Test captaincy in March 2018 in the wake of the “sandpaper-gate” scandal that rocked Australian cricket.
The then captain Steve Smith and his deputy David Warner were forced to step down for their role in trying to replace the ball with sandpaper during the Cape Town Test and were suspended for a year.
Freudenstein said that since 2018 CA has provided better education for players on acceptable behavior and the use of social media, including the exchange of explicit sexual material.
“But what is clear is that there are lessons to be learned and we, as an organization, have more to do in this area and we will do more.”
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Recognizing that it was a mistake to cast Paine in the role, Freudenstein praised him as an “extraordinary leader in Australian cricket over the past three years”.
He also confirmed that the 36-year-old wicketkeeper, who is making a comeback from neck surgery, was available for Ashes selection as a player in the opening Test in Brisbane on 8 December.
“The captain of the Australian cricket team has to be held at a very high standard,” he added.
“That is why I think it is absolutely appropriate that Tim has resigned from the captaincy which is in the best interest of Australian cricket.
“The Australian Cricket Board is comfortable with his availability as a player.”
Pat Cummins and Smith are seen as the frontrunners to take over as captains.
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