Watch: Australia Test captain Tim Paine bowls and takes a wicket in domestic match
On Sunday, Australia Test captain Tim Paine was spotted bowling in the Cricket Tasmania Premier League final. It wasn't a part-time affair either. Paine opened the bowling for his team, University of Tasmania, with some medium-pace.
Remarkably, the 36-year-old took a wicket as well, this time with off-spin, and broke a key 114-run partnership.
Tim Paine finished with tidy figures of 1-60 from 10 overs, bowling five wides. It was not the first time the wicket-keeper acted as a bowler. Paine had previously bowled 36 overs in first-class cricket, albeit without much success.
Pat Cummins to replace Tim Paine?
Tim Paine's captaincy has come under the scanner after he became the only Australian skipper to lose two consecutive Test series to India at home. In the recently-concluded Border-Gavaskar Trophy, the Aussies failed to beat an injury-ridden Indian side and lost the series by a 2-1 margin.
There are rumblings that vice-captain Pat Cummins could replace Tim Paine at the helm. It was recently announced that Cummins will lead New South Wales' One-Day side in the coming weeks. Reports are rife that this step is to test him and see if he enjoys the extra responsibility.
While some Australian pundits believe Cummins is ready for the role, others have outright opposed the move, saying a bowler can't handle the tactical pressure of captaincy.
Former captain Steve Smith, who lost the role in the aftermath of the sandpaper incident, doesn't seem to be in contention at the moment. Tim Paine and Australia white-ball skipper Aaron Finch don't have age on their sides, and one can expect big changes in this regard in the near future.