Paine plays down suggestions of becoming Oz captain
By ANISunday, January 9, 2011
PERTH - Australian wicketkeeper Tim Paine has shrugged off former captain Steve Waugh’s suggestion that he could be a captain-in-waiting for the Test team.
With doubts surrounding the future of current skipper Ricky Ponting, Waugh had earlier discussed the possibility of including two wicketkeeper-batsmen in the team with a view towards grooming either Paine or Brad Haddin as future Test captains.
Paine, however, emphasized that he was more focused on breaking back into the Test team.
“It’s nice to have people of that quality throwing your name in for such an honour. But at the moment it’s a long, long, long way away for me,” Fox Sports quoted Paine, as saying.
“I suppose they’ve shown they think I have some leadership qualities . . . if I’m lucky enough to be even playing enough cricket for Australia to be considered for that job, I’ll be in a better place for the exposure I’m getting now.”
“It’s nice to be getting a bit of a foot in the door, being blooded into international cricket. (But) if I don’t take them (opportunities), they will disappear,” he added.
Paine will lead the Prime Minister’s XI against England at Canberra’s Manuka Oval on January 10.
The 26-year-old has been exceptional since making his Test debut earlier this year, averaging 36 in four Tests against Pakistan and India. (ANI)
