Couldn't Care Less About Criticism As Long As It Doesn't Get Personal: Tim Paine

Australia's 2-1 Test series loss at home to India led to plenty of pondering in the cricket-crazy nation. The majority of the focus was put on head coach Justin Langer, whose apparent headmaster-like attitude did not sit well with certain players and even led to an incident wherein he had to talk Marnus Labuschagne out of taking a toasted cheese sandwich onto the field of play during the fourth and final Test in Brisbane. However there was also some focus on Test skipper Tim Paine, who flattered to deceive with the bat, behind the stumps and even with his captaincy tactics.

Paine acknowledged that criticism was part and parcel of the game and added that he was fine with it as long it didn't become personal.

“I was OK. I knew it was going to come. It’s part and parcel of this job, and I have seen it through a number of captains before,” Paine said on Tuesday.

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“I’ve said this a few times, I feel really lucky I was made the Australian captain at 34. I’d been through a lot, seen a lot, had my career taken away then given back to me. I see things slightly differently.

“I know most of it is a critique of me as a cricketer and a captain and I am fine with that. As long as it’s not personal, then to be honest, I couldn’t care less.

“All that worries me is what my teammates think and the feedback from them is that I have been doing a good job.”

He added that he knew he made mistakes but he owned up to them and said that he was now looking forward to moving on from the series.

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“You are always looking for ways to get better. I’m certainly not perfect, I make mistakes in terms of field placements, when we use bowlers … but every captain around the world has worn that at some point in time,” he told RSN.

“Then I like to draw a line in it, write those things down where I can improve or where I have made mistakes and then move on. I’m not dwelling on it now, I was for a few days. You have to own up to the mistakes you made and we did that.

“I’m now looking forward to moving on … to getting it right next time.”

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