"I'd have lost all respect for him" - David Lloyd rips Tim Paine apart for his distasteful sledging
Former England cricketer-turned-commentator David Lloyd has slammed Australian skipper Tim Paine for his needless sledging against the Indian batsman on Day 5 of the third Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG).
Tim Paine was continuously involved in a verbal banter with the opposition batters, especially Ravichandran Ashwin, and passed some derogatory comments which didn't go down well with Lloyd.
Writing in his column for The Daily Mail, David Lloyd explained how Tim Paine is not setting the right example as Australia's Test captain through such unacceptable behaviour.
"It’s up to Paine now to control his players, but first he has to set an example. Put it like this: if someone had talked to me like he did to Ravichandran Ashwin, I’d have lost all respect for them," David Lloyd wrote.
What on earth is wrong with Tim Paine and his men?: David Lloyd
David Lloyd believes although teams want to be competitive against each other, there is a certain line that should not be crossed. He reckons Ashwin will be unwilling to behave in a friendly manner off the field with Tim Paine and some other Aussies after their antics on Day 5 of the Sydney Test.
Australian cricket had gone through probably their darkest period after the likes of Steve Smith and David Warner were banned for 12 months each, following their involvement in the ball-tampering scandal.
Thus, Lloyd finds it baffling to understand how the Aussies continue to remain arrogant in their behaviour, despite having learnt a hard lesson three years ago.
"How can Ashwin want to share a drink with the Australians after Paine was trash-talking him the way he did? You’d have thought the Australians would watch their Ps and Qs after that farce with the sandpaper. But they just don’t seem to learn.What on earth is wrong with them?" Lloyd wrote
Although Tim Paine tried his level best to disrupt the concentration of the Indian batsmen, it worked against him as he dropped three catches, including one of Hanuma Vihari late on Day 5. Team India managed to save the SCG Test and keep the series levelled at 1-1.
While this draw will boost the morale of the visitors, the Aussies will rue the dropped chances which stopped them from winning at the SCG. However, they may take heart from the fact that the venue for the final Test is a fortress for them, having not lost there since 1988.
The fourth and final Test of the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy will be played at the Gabba in Brisbane from January 15.