By The End Of The Test Series Tim Paine Would Be Dropped, Feels Mohammad Kaif

While the Indians and the Australians have seemed too friendly on the field in the limited-overs matches, former India cricketer, Mohammad Kaif has added a touch of fierceness in the rivalry. Kaif predicts that the current Aussie skipper, Tim Paine would be dropped from the eleven by the time the 4-match series concludes.

Tim Paine was given the captaincy amidst the sandpaper gate saga in Cape Town in 2018. Cricket Australia banned Steve Smith and David Warner along with Cameron Bancroft. Smith and Warner were banned from all forms of cricket for a year.

Smith was handed an additional year suspension from the captaincy role, which has come to an end earlier this year and he is now eligible to lead his country again.

Tim Paine has led Australia brilliantly and did as good a job as anyone could have to pull his side back from the debacle at Newlands. He became the first Aussie captain to retain the Ashes in England in 18 years – something Ricky Ponting, Michael Clarke, and Steve Smith could achieve – along with home series victories against Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and New Zealand, and lost the only home series to India in 2018-19.

Australians who play in the IPL will not fight with the Indian players: Mohammad Kaif

Talking to Sony Sports network, Mohammad Kaif predicts that Tim Paine will be dropped from the captaincy role and the playing eleven as well because he has not been scoring runs. Kaif points out that Paine was made the skipper of the team in desperate times, and now with Smith eligible to lead the side again, it is difficult to see him continue at the helm of Australia cricket. The right-hander averaged 24 last year in 12 matches.

Speaking with the broadcaster,  Mohammad Kaif said, “I feel by the time the Test series is over, Tim Paine would have been dropped. He is not able to score runs with the bat. He just got the captaincy because Smith and Warner had the problem at the time. They were banned, so he was made the captain in compulsion.

“Now that they have come back, if he doesn’t score, then his playing in the XI will also be difficult. So it will be better if he concentrates on batting and keeping only this time.”

The 40-year-old also was asked about why the Australians haven’t sledged the Indian players yet on tour. To which Mohammad Kaif responded that it is the IPL effect as the Aussie players make a lot of money in the IPL; hence they don’t want to have an altercation with the men in blue.

The Delhi Capitals assistant coach asserts that since Paine is not playing in the IPL, he might look for some verbal duels. The first Test is slated for 17th December in Adelaide. It would be a day-night contest to be played with the pink ball.

“All the players who play in the IPL, whether it is Finch, Warner, or Cummins, none of them are going to fight now. Tim Paine does not play, he knows that he is not going to come to India, he does not have anything to do with the IPL, so he can confront the Indians,” Mohammad Kaif added.

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