Former Australia captain Greg Chappell has criticised current Test captain Tim Paine in an open letter. Chappell has come down heavily on Paine’s sledging during the Sydney Test between India and Australia. An injured and battered India showed significant resilience to earn a draw. Paine was heard constantly heckling Indian players, especially Ashwin. Chappell has urged Paine to let the cricket do the talking and not resort to harsh words.
“Abuse is not acceptable in any workplace and talk, in my opinion, is cheap. It does not show one’s strength. Rather, it displays a weakness of character,” Chappell wrote in the Sydney Morning Herald. He further added, “As the 40th anniversary of the underarm incident at the MCG looms, I have considerable sympathy for your recent travails, post the Sydney Test. I urge you to impress on the team to let the bat and ball do the talking and set better examples to millions of impressionable little boys and girls, lest they start imitating the worst instincts and actions of their sporting heroes. This will be the greatest legacy that you can leave. You have led Australia with flair, courage and humour and have contributed immensely in rebuilding the image of Australian cricket following the events in Cape Town, three years ago. I urge you to keep leading in the way that you have been, since taking over the captaincy. I would hate one bad day to undo all of the good work that you and your team have done. Your mea culpa and promise to do better after Sydney is a step in the right direction. It shows contrition and a resolve to get things back on track. I have no doubt that you have a year or two of good cricket left in you, and detractors who are piling on right now, should judge you in time, and not on the basis of one mad afternoon.”
The four-match Test series between India and Australia is level at 1-1. There was much talk off-field between the teams even before the final Test at Brisbane. India needs to badly avoid a defeat if they are to keep alive their hopes of making it to the final of the inaugural World Test Championship to be played at the Lord’s in the summer. Australia have already almost cemented their place in the final. With four straight Test match wins, New Zealand are now breathing down India’s neck.
