What Tim Paine Did Was Cheap: Greg Chappell Slams The Australian Skipper For His Antics In The Sydney Test

Former Australia batsman, Greg Chappell has written an open letter to Tim Paine in which he expressed his disappointment about the current Australian captain’s verbal spats in the Sydney Test against India.

Paine was criticized for his sledging and altercations in Sydney; he constantly sledged the Indian batsmen on the fifth day as the visitors looked to draw the game, and engaged in an altercation with the on-field umpire, Paul Wilson. Tim Paine abused in anger with the third umpire’s decision.

“Abuse is not acceptable in any workplace and talk, in my opinion, is cheap. It does not show one’s strength. Rather, it displays a weakness of character,” Chappell wrote in the Sydney Morning Herald.

I urge Tim Paine let the bat and ball do the talking: Greg Chappell

Greg Chappell sympathizes with Paine as he was also involved in a much shameful and heavily condemned act of under-arm bowling – Greg asked his brother, Trevor to bowl underarm to New Zealand batsman while defending 7 runs off the last ball of an ODI in 1981 – and urges the Aussie wicket-keeper to set better examples for youngsters.

“As the 40th anniversary of the underarm incident at the MCG looms, I have considerable sympathy for your recent travails, post the Sydney Test. I urge you to impress on the team to let the bat and ball do the talking and set better examples to millions of impressionable little boys and girls, lest they start imitating the worst instincts and actions of their sporting heroes. This will be the greatest legacy that you can leave,” Chappell added.

The 72-year-old admires Paine for the way with which he has led the team in the past 3 years taking over from Steve Smith after the Sandpaper Gate fiasco. Chappell suggests Paine to keep leading the side in the same manner, and that three years of graceful leadership shouldn’t be tarnished by one bad day.

“You have led Australia with flair, courage, and humor and have contributed immensely in rebuilding the image of Australian cricket following the events in Cape Town, three years ago. I urge you to keep leading in the way that you have been, since taking over the captaincy. I would hate one bad day to undo all of the good work that you and your team have done,” advises the former batsman.

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