Sunil Gavaskar Can Say What He Wants, Won’t Affect Us: Tim Paine

Australia skipper Tim Paine responded to former Indian cricketer and legend Sunil Gavaskar’s criticism of him, saying the former India captain is entitled to his opinion but it does not affect the Australian team one bit.

After the third Test between India and Australia ended as a draw, Gavaskar had openly slammed Australia captain Paine for his unbefitting behaviour on the final day’s play. Gavaskar even went on to say that the wicket-keeper batsman has his days numbered as the Test skipper.

Asked if he had heard about Gavaskar’s comments on him, Paine replied, “I had, but I am not going to go into it and get my back and forth with Sunny Gavaskar, I think I am not going to win that.”

“He is entitled to his opinion, it does not affect us one bit, if anything it is adding to the Test match. Sunny can keep saying what he wants to say, but in the end, we do not have anything to do with him,” Paine said during a virtual press conference.

Paine, after the completion of the Third Test between India and Australia publicly apologised for crossing the line and said that from now on, he would like to play the way he knows and that’s doing his job with a smile on his face.

“I just think I will handle it differently, the last Test I let it get under my skin, I have admitted that. I will concentrate on myself and leading my team. This game is about controlling what we can control.

“If we can do that, we will be in a good position. If you look at my entire career, I have done a good job of staying relaxed. At times, you feel you get caught up in the moment,” said Paine.

Paine was continuously exchanging harsh words with R Ashwin on the final day’s play, but to make the matters worse, he ended up dropping three catches and this is the most he has dropped since coming into the Australian team for the 2017/18 Ashes series.