"Tim Paine was unfairly criticized for his on-field captaincy against India"- Trevor Hohns
Former Australian chief selector Trevor Hohns feels Test skipper Tim Paine received unfair criticism for his captaincy in the 2020-21 Test series against India. Despite taking a 1-0 lead in the series, Australia lost the series 2-1 at home for the second time in a row against the visitors.
Hohns stressed how Tim Paine had taken over the captaincy during a dark phase in Australian cricket following the infamous "Sandpapergate" scandal. It was Paine who made the Australian public believe in their team again and Hohns feels he must get that credit for the same.
Speaking to The Age, Trevor Hohns explained how well Tim Paine has captained the Australian team since taking over. He believes Paine brought them back on track.
“Tim’s done a wonderful job in a time that was very ordinary. To take over and try to get the public back on side. He copped a bit of flak last year for his tactics against India. Captains do have bad days from time to time, so I thought he was unfairly criticised for his on-field captaincy," Trevor Hohns stated.
It worked better if the coach wasn't a selector: Trevor Hohns
There was much debate about whether Justin Langer should continue as the Australian head coach after reports emerged of a rift between him and the players. While Trevor Hohns didn't comment much on the issue, he certainly believes that a coach shouldn't be a selector.
According to Hohns, the two roles must be done by separate people and must be independent. He feels a coach must have the respect of his players and for that he need not be a selector.
“If a coach needs that extra power in the dressing room, well I think that’s a no no. I used to always think it worked better if the coach wasn’t a selector. At the moment I’m more like 50-50 on it, but you need to have the right individual if you’re going to have the coach as a selector, and the coach shouldn’t need that extra power to gain the respect of his players,” Trevor Hohns concluded.
Only time will tell whether Langer's appointment as head coach will benefit the Australian team as their recent performances seem to indicate otherwise.