Australian players prepared for pay cuts, says Tim Paine
Australian captain Tim Paine believes the players are aware of the delay in central contracting which will lead to pay cuts. He also stated that Australia's upcoming Bangladesh tour looks unlikely, owing to the coronavirus pandemic. The International Cricket Council (ICC) in a recent meeting cleared that it is yet to make a decision about the ongoing Test Championship. Here is more.
Players are waiting for the announcement
"There's obviously the delay in our list announcement. If it comes to that, I'm sure that's something that the players will look at. If things happen similar to what's happened to football and other sports, then we've certainly got to do our bit," Paine said.
Various Test series are scheduled following the IPL window
Australia are supposed to tour Bangladesh for a two-match Test series in June this year. As per the schedule, the first Test will commence on June 11 in Chattogram and Dhaka will host the second Test from June 19. Moreover, England are also scheduled to host West Indies and Pakistan in the longest format, starting June, as a part of ICC Test Championship.
Paine supports the idea of canceling the series
Paine feels the Test series is unlikely to commence as scheduled amid the alarming crisis. He said, "At this stage I think you don't have to be Einstein to realise it's probably unlikely to go ahead, particularly in June. "Whether it's canceled completely or pushed back, if at the end of the day we have to miss them, then so be it," he added.
Smith's captaincy ban ended on March 29
Steve Smith is eligible to lead Australia again as his two-year captaincy ban has come to an end. He was striped of captaincy for two years following the Newlands' ball-tampering fiasco. Presently, Tim Paine leads the Test team, while Aaron Finch is in charge of the limited-overs side. It will be interesting to see whether Smith gets back his former role.
Paine opens up on potential names for captaincy role
Paine also revealed the names of potential candidates who may lead the side in future, besides Smith. "At the moment, I'd like a Steve Smith who's done it before or ones that are developing like Travis Head, Alex Carey, Marnus Labuschagne. Pat Cummins is another one," Paine opined. He added, "We are starting to build real depth and that's what we want to do."
