"I am always up for that" - Tim Paine ready to engage in banter during the Gabba Test
Australia skipper Tim Paine stated that he will be ready to engage in banter if required during the fourth and final Test of the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy at the Gabba.
Tim Paine had to face the heat from many fans as well as former cricketers for his distasteful sledging against the Indian batsmen, especially Ravichandran Ashwin, on Day 5 of the third Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG).
He was also fined 15% of his match fee for showing dissent towards umpire Paul Wilson. In the pre-match video conference, Tim Paine agreed that he needs to be more careful and show respect towards officials and the opposition players.
"I will be being myself. I don't remember how many Tests I have played but I have gone about it in a pretty consistent fashion 99 percent of the time. The other day, I let the moment get to me, which is a very rare thing. Bit of a blip on the radar. But as I said I have copped that on the chin. I will look to come out this week and play competitive Test cricket as I always do," Tim Paine said.
However, the 36-year-old also believes banter is an important part of the game and it charges him up.
"If there is a bit of banter to be said then yes I am always up for that. I have just got to be aware of the stump mic, be more respectful of the umpire, the officials and the players I am against. I like engaging in that, it is good fun and I think it is a part of the game," Paine added.
"I haven't heard any complaints from the Indian players" -Tim Paine on Brisbane hotel saga
Australia women's cricketer and wife of pacer Mitchell Starc, Alyssa Healy took an indirect dig at the Indian team for having a problem with the quarantine restrictions in their Brisbane hotel.
This did not go down well with the Indian fans and she was slammed for her controversial tweet. However, Tim Paine revealed that he had not heard any of the Indian players complaining about the facilities.
"Well, firstly I haven't seen those comments from Alyssa and to be fair, I haven't heard any complaints from the Indian players. We are all aware of what we signed up for and I think it's been challenging for everyone, probably more for them because they are in a different country and away from their families. So, I certainly understand the difficulties that the Indians are going through," Tim Paine asserted.
The Aussies have a proud record at the Gabba, having won 33 out of the 55 Tests they have played there. It has also become their fortress as no team have beaten them at the venue since 1988.