There's "absolutely no way" that Tim Paine will play for Australia again, according to Gerard Whateley.
Speaking on SEN Breakfast, Whateley made the comments in response to Cricket Australia CEO Nick Hockley's suggestion he would "love" to see Paine back in the Test side.
Hockley discussed Paine on SEN Test Cricket on Thursday, saying his leadership had been "exemplary". He further delved into Paine's situation, saying “While he’s made a big mistake, he’s owned it, and he’s stepped aside to prioritise and look after his family,”
“We’re all very, very concerned to make sure Tim is well supported. Absolutely, we would love to see Tim play again for both his state and for Australia.
"We want to see him back out there playing and performing as quickly as possible.”
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Whateley was having none of it however, saying “I don’t want to be overly critical, but it’s an easy thing (for Hockley) to say, ‘I hope to see him back in the Australian team.’
“There’s absolutely no way Tim Paine plays for Australia again. Because theoretically it’s open, but Alex Carey is the new keeper, will be the long-term keeper, and if something went amiss, if he broke his finger, it’ll be Josh Inglis. It’s not going to be Tim Paine.
“He can’t be cast out, and yet that criticism that he was abandoned is absolutely right. It’s an easy thing to say … he’s not getting back.”
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With Carey impressing with the gloves so far on his debut, Whateley's comments seem justified. New Captain Pat Cummins, who replaced Paine, got off to a dream start in his new role, taking five wickets as the Aussies steamrolled England on Day one of the First Test.
