Allan Border Backs Tim Paine to Bring Back Australia's Old Style of Play

When getting selected and persisting in the team has been tough for Tim Paine, the sudden turnaround of events saw him returning to the setup with a captaincy hat. However, it was a gutsy call from the selectors to pick Tim Paine as the skipper. Meanwhile, Allan Border hails the strong spirit shown by Tim Paine.

The former Australian great quoted the current skipper Paine should bring back the old glory of Australia. He wants the team to play as hard as they can to show Australia’s calibre to the world cricket.

Play like an Australian way – Allan Border

Allan Border said the first and foremost objective for Australia on the paper should be about bringing back the old style of play. They have always been the tough competitors on the field with their ‘Never Give Up’ attitude.

He felt the current troop has gone bit away from playing the tough cricket. Allan Border added the skipper should also bring the healthy atmosphere in the dressing room to get the Aussies back on the track.

“The first thing I’d be addressing is that we play the Australian way and get back on track there,” Border told foxsports.com.au. “Yes, we want to get back to playing tough uncompromising cricket but there’s a spirit of play in the game. Australian teams have always done that really well. Tough cricket but fair. Maybe we’ve got a little bit away from that in the past.”

“You have to get in that dressing room and get it to be a happy place. Make sure the guys enjoy each other’s company and really foster that team spirit. If you get that dressing room sorted out so it’s a happy place for players to be it’s a good solid start to how you play cricket out in the middle,” Allan Border added.

Tim Paine should back his instinct – Allan Border

When asked about any tips for Tim Paine, the former Australian added everyone carries their style of playing the game. He quoted Tim Paine should back his gut feeling and go with his instincts.

“He’s in charge now so he’s got to put his own style of captaincy there. He can’t be scared to back his own judgment. Even though he’s basically a rookie Test cricketer, he’s been around cricket for long enough to give it a gut feel. He will know what should and shouldn’t be happening, so he should back his gut instinct.”

Though the journey of Tim Paine isn’t smooth like any other Australian, he took the onus on him when it mattered the most. However, it would be interesting to see how things would turn out for the youngster and Australia.