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26 Established 1961 Sports Wednesday, September 11, 2019 ‘Accidental’ Australia captain Paine on verge of Ashes landmark Paine contributed to victory in Manchester by ending a run of low scores with a valuable 58 LONDRES: Greg Chappell could not do it, while Tasmanian found himself thrust into the captaincy Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke, who both had two barely a year later. attempts each, were unable to manage it either. But if Ever since becoming skipper, Paine has face accu- his side avoid defeat in the fifth Test against England at sations that he is both an “accidental” skipper and The Oval starting tomorrow, Tim Paine will join the list not worth his place in the side. But having shown of Australia captains who have led the team to an dignity after a dramatic one-wicket loss in the third Ashes series win in England. Test at Headingley, Paine had the satisfaction of It is a feat no Australia captain has achieved since leading the team to an 185-run win at Old Trafford Steve Waugh oversaw a 4-1 success 18 years ago. on Sunday that ensured they retained the Ashes at 2- Waugh, like Chappell, Ponting and Clarke, is one of 1 up with just one to play. Australia’s greatest cricketers. No one, least of all wicketkeeper Paine himself, would suggest he is in that ‘SCARY SMITH’ class and the way in which he inherited the captaincy Much of the credit will go to Smith, who has so far was highly unusual. scored 671 runs at 134.20 with three hundreds, Traditionally, Australia have picked their best 11 including 211 at Old Trafford, in his first series since players first and then opted for one of them as captain, his ban. “He is just a genius and I never had any while in England, where there has long been an doubt he would come back and be the player he emphasis on ‘leadership qualities’, the tendency has was,” said Paine, who made his Test debut in the been to select the skipper first and then find 10 others same match as Smith. to join him. “The scary thing is he’s getting better. I don’t know Paine’s case was different. Following the ball-tam- where it is going to stop but we are enjoying being on pering scandal in Cape Town in March 2018 that saw the ride, that is for sure.” Steve Smith stripped of the captaincy and David Just as Smith is the world’s top-ranked Test bats- Warner removed from the post of vice-captain — with man, Australia spearhead Pat Cummins is at the summit both batsmen subsequently given 12-month bans by of the corresponding bowling rankings. Cricket Australia — officials needed someone uncont- Most captains are only as good as their players, but MANCHESTER: Australia’s captain Tim Paine (L) and Australia’s Steve Smith (R) celebrate their victory on the field aminated by the incident to lead the team and turned Paine contributed to victory in Manchester by ending after the fourth Ashes cricket Test match between England and Australia at Old Trafford in Manchester. — AFP to Paine the morning after ‘Sandpapergate’. a run of low scores with a valuable first-innings 58. Paine, who had made his Australia debut in a Test “In terms of what we’ve been able to achieve as a against Pakistan at Lord’s in 2010, had been on the group is pretty satisfying from where we’ve come from “Also from where we’ve come from, even from last added: “My dream was to come here and win an Ashes. brink of retiring from cricket in 2017 and taking up a in the last 18 months,” said Paine. “Great character, week (the defeat at Headingley). That was a loss that I certainly didn’t want to be the captain winning the job with an equipment manufacturer instead. But shows the great people we have got and shows we’ve would break a lot of teams but we weren’t.” Ashes. “I am just happy to be a part of it. I could have having forced his way back into the side, the also got some bloody good cricketers in our team. As for personal satisfaction, the 34-year-old Paine been working at Kookaburra so this isn’t bad.” — AFP With 671 runs from three tests, England greats Boycott, Australia coach Smith has carried the Australian bat- ting on his shoulders with some sup- wants struggling port from Labuschagne, who has an Strauss given knighthoods average of 58.2 in the series. Langer called for patience with the young bat- batsmen to ters in the side. LONDRES: England cricket greats Geoffrey Boycott and Andrew “He (Smith) has done a lot for Strauss have been given knighthoods by Theresa May in her resigna- Australian cricket for the last few years tion honours list. step up actually, and so has Dave Warner,” Boycott and Strauss both received the honour for their services to LONDON: Australia coach Justin Langer said. “But we’ve also got to sport after outstanding careers for England. Langer has urged the struggling bats- remember, Travis Head is new to test “We couldn’t be more delighted that Sir Andrew Strauss joins other men in his team to step up and deliver cricket, Marnus (Labuschagne) is new giants within the sport who have been knighted for their achieve- when the final Ashes test against to test cricket, Marcus Harris is new to ments,” England and Wales Cricket Board chief executive Tom England starts at The Oval tomorrow. test cricket, Cameron Bancroft is new Harrison said in a statement. Australia took an unassailable 2-1 lead in to test cricket. “Aside from his achievements on and off the pitch, Andrew is the five-test series following their 185- “You can’t just give them that experi- widely regarded as an exceptional person in our game and this run win in the fourth test at Old Trafford ence, they’ve got to earn that and we’re wonderful accolade will be celebrated around the cricketing world. and now have the chance to wrap up very thankful to have Steve batting. “Our heartfelt congratulations also go to Sir Geoffrey their first series win in England since We’re lucky to have him but test cricket Boycott, honoured for his long career and passionate dedication 2001, when Steve Waugh’s men won 4-1. takes time. We’ve got to respect that, it to the sport.” Geoffrey Boycott The performances of Steve Smith, takes a lot of time.” Boycott was one of May’s sporting heroes and the former British with an astronomical average of 134.2, While his batsmen have been misfir- Prime Minister spoke of her admiration for his bloody-minded style of had been bestowed on West Indian cricketers including Viv Richards, and Marnus Labuschagne, combined ing, Langer has no such problems with play on several occasions. Garfield Sobers and Curtly Ambrose. with a strong showing from the bowlers, his fast bowling unit. Pat Cummins has During the painfully slow Brexit negotiations last year, May Boycott was also given a three-month suspended prison sentence have minimised the impact of failures played all four tests and is the pick of the defended her stance by saying: “Can I just say that you might recall in 1998 after being convicted of assault against former girlfriend from the other specialist batsmen during fast bowlers with 24 wickets while Josh from previous comments I have made about cricket that one of my Margaret Moore. the series. Hazlewood has taken 18 from three. cricket heroes was always Geoffrey Boycott. Former England and Middlesex batsman Strauss hit 7,037 runs in Travis Head, Matthew Wade, Usman The touring side have James “And what did you know about Geoffrey Boycott? Geoffrey 100 Tests from 2004 to 2012. Khawaja, Marcus Harris, Cameron Pattinson and Peter Siddle with two Boycott stuck to it and he got the runs in the end.” Strauss captained England to Ashes triumphs against Australia in Bancroft and David Warner have all tests each under their belt in the series, May, who stepped down as Prime Minister earlier this year, once 2009 and 2010/2011, the latter campaign making him the first been posted missing, with experienced and the uncapped Michael Neser is also said she had baked Boycott a batch of chocolate brownies and English skipper to win a Test series on Australian soil since Mike opening batsman Warner the worst of an option. joked that the former Yorkshire batsman still had the Tupperware Gatting in 1986-87. the lot with an average of 9.87. “We’ve James Pattinson literally box she delivered them in. Boycott, 78, was a polarising figure for his South Africa-born Strauss served as England’s director of cricket While safe in the knowledge that jumping out of his skin to play the next conservative batting and acerbic personality, but that didn’t stop him between 2015 and 2018 before resigning when his wife suffered the England cannot win the Ashes, Langer test,” Langer said. “Peter Siddle, in those amassing 8,114 Test runs at an average of 47.72 in an England career lung cancer that would eventually lead to her death. said Australia would not be easing off in first two tests, was probably the stand- that ran between 1964 and 1982. The 42-year-old’s time in the England hierarchy was credited with the fifth Test. “You’ve still got to per- out bowler, a great professional and a He was forced to apologise in 2017 after joking that he would have laying the foundations for the team’s first 50-over World Cup victory form, as an Australian test cricketer,” he ripping person to have in the team.