Former wicketkeeper and ex selector, Saba Karim, criticised Australia Test captain Tim Paine for his recent comments regarding his team’s home series defeat to India earlier this year, saying Paine’s remarks felt “childish” from the outside.
In what came across as an act of giving excuses for his team’s embarrassing 2-1 series defeat in home conditions to a largely weakened Indian team, the Australian said that the hosts were distracted by some of the visitors’ psychological tactics with the mention of the word “sideshows”.
“Part of the challenge of playing against India is they’re very good at niggling you and trying to distract you with stuff that doesn’t really matter. And there were times in that series where we fell for that,”
“The classic example was when they said they weren’t going to the Gabba so we didn’t know where we were going. They’re very good at creating these sideshows and we took our eye off the ball.”
the 36-year-old was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo at an event.
The Australian skipper was mercilessly trolled over social media for his comments, with many accusing him of not taking the defeat in the right spirit. Since India were plagued by several absentees and Australia were undoubtedly at full strength, the series witnessed one of the most remarkable performance from a visiting team in the history of Test cricket. And thus, Paine’s words felt like he was belittling India’s achievement.
Karim, who played 1 Test and 34 ODIs for India, slammed Paine for his remarks, questioning whether it was a very bad attempt on behalf of the Australian skipper to defend his own team and hide some of their flaws that India exposed. For Karim, who has seen Australian cricket at its peak, it is highly surprising for an Aussie captain to claim the visiting opposition team to create “sideshows” and distractions when they are historically known for it.
“It is not only childish, but huge stupidity. This is ‘Ulta chor kotwal ko daante‘. It is an attempt by Tim Paine to hide the mistakes they have committed. We have often seen that the home team does this kind of sideshow to distract the visiting team and it has happened to India many times,”
said Karim during a discussion on India News.
Karim cited how gracefully Australian head coach and former opening batsman, Justin Langer, accepted the India series loss as an example for Paine and others to follow. Langer had admitted his team were outdone in all departments of the game by the beleaguered Indian side.
“I am finding it even more surprising because Justin Langer the coach has admitted that the Indian team gave a terrific performance, that the pool of India A players was very good and that they should not feel bad after losing to India,”
Karim added.
In the discussion, Karim also said rather than blaming others, the Australian team under Paine should go on self-analysis and try to resolve their problems with an Ashes against England looming at the back end of the year.
Paine’s controversial remarks, felt Karim, could cost him his Test captaincy badge. Paine has admitted that he is nearing the end of his career and could bid adieu to the game post the conclusion of the 2021-22 Test summer where Australia play Afghanistan and England in six Tests.
“At least another six Tests. If I feel like the time is right and we’ve beaten the Poms 5-0, what a way to go out. But it might be a tight series and we might be chasing 300 on the last day and I’m 100 not out and hit the winning runs — and then I might go again.”
he stated.
