Just when it was assumed that it was only
England that has been in the spotlight following Azeem Rafiq’s racism
allegation against former and active England cricketers, Australia found
themselves in deep trouble with their Test skipper Tim Paine resigning from his
post just ahead of the Ashes 2021.

Paine, who had been Australia captain in
the longest format since 2018, resigned after an investigation launched against
him into sexually explicit texts to a female colleague. The latest development
has led Australia into its biggest scandal since the 2018 ball-tampering
scandal in South Africa.

Now, with the Ashes 2021 starting on December 8
in Brisbane, it seems the high-octane five-Test bilateral Test series is going
to be dominated by off-field controversies rather than cricket.

Accidental
captain

Paine was made captain to guide Australia
out of ball-tampering controversy after then captain Steve Smith was suspended
alongside the vice-captain David Warner and Cameron Bancroft.

Now, in a span of three years, Australia is
bowled over by yet another controversy which reportedly had happened in 2018
when wicket-keeper Paine, who was recalled into the squad in 2017, became the
captain.

Even though the investigation cleared Paine
of misconduct, he still resigned in tears after learning the texts made rounds
on social media.

Under scanner Paine wished to be part of
the Australian team as a wicket-keeper, but the leaked texts and his poor
record as a batter have cast a doubt over his selection in the first Test
against England.

Tim Paine has not made a century in his 35
Tests and his average of 32 do not augur well for him. 

The allegation of sexual harassment against
Paine now seems to be an error of misjudgement from Cricket Australia who
trusted a decent cricketer to get over the heavy blow of ball-tampering scandal
that shook it like never before. Now Tim Paine’ resignation as a skipper once
again put Cricket Australia in a crisis.

Known as an accidental captain, Paine at
the time of taking over the captaincy had said Australian cricketers have to
improve their “behaviour”.

Until the latest controversy popped up,
Paine, as narrated in the Amazon documentary The Test, was the man who restored
the parity of the vaunted image of Australian cricket.

But the man who lectured on “behaviour” was
caught sledging Indian cricketers on stump microphones and went eye-to-eye with
Virat Kohli during the 2018-19 series.

Arch-rivals
are sharing the heat

Now, nevertheless, if the England cricket
team is feeling some sort of relief from the off-field heat that is because
their Australian counterparts are sharing it with them.

There has still not been a response from
the England team over Rafiq’s racism allegation against nine England cricketers
and a Yorkshire County Cricket Club official.

Coming under pressure, England and Wales
Cricket Board (ECB) chief Tom Harrison on Friday vowed to eradicate racism from
the discourse of English cricket.

It must be noted that the Ashes has never
been short of off-field controversies. England’s last tour Down Under four
years ago is remembered without fondness for Stokes’ altercation in Bristol
beforehand, the ‘headbutt’ from Jonny Bairstow on Bancroft and Ben Duckett
pouring a drink over James Anderson – and that is before you consider they were
hammered 4-0.

With 18 days to go for the Ashes 2021, there are
speculations about how the oldest cricketing rivalry will unfold in the
backdrop of controversies in both camps. While English cricket is facing a
cultural crisis, Cricket Australia has its cricketers’ “behaviour” to address.