Ashes 2021-22: Former women’s cricket team coach WV Raman feels that the absence of Tim Paine will not be a big issue for Australia in the upcoming Ashes as the wicket-keeper batter was not the ‘greatest glovemen’.
England and Australia will lock horns in the five-match Ashes, beginning December 8 at the Gabba, Brisbane.
Ashes 2021-22: Tim Paine not a great wicketkeeper anyway, Australia won’t miss him – WV Raman
While replying to ANI query during a virtual press conference, Raman said, “It is his (Alex Carey) first role because there has been a lot of issues related to Tim Paine off the field atleast, so on one side cricket Australia is looking ahead and also getting rid of whatever stigma they had got, a couple of years ago but now it’s a situation that they are forced to bring in somebody else in the place of Tim Paine, so I think it will work out well and if you look at it, Tim Paine was not the greatest of gloveman anyway.”
“It’s just that he happened to be the candidate, which suited everybody at that point of time unless this guy (Alex Carey) does extremely bad, I don’t think Tim Paine will be missed,” he added.
Cricket Australia’s National Selection Panel (NSP) on Thursday added Carey to the 15-player squad for the first two matches of the upcoming Ashes.
Carey has replaced Paine in the squad who decided to take some time off from the game last week.
Ashes 2021-22: Tim Paine not a great wicketkeeper anyway, Australia won’t miss him – WV Raman
Speaking about Usman Khawaja’s role in the squad, Raman said that the batter’s experience would give a boost to Australi’s batting order.
“See, he’s got all the experience. If you look at other options like [Marcus] Harris or [Travis] Head, he is perhaps the most experienced and he’s also got some runs in international cricket. He is averaging well and above his other two rivals that he is contesting with. He’s also a left-hander, which means that they would want him to be a part of the side first up because it’s five-Test series,” said Raman.
“The fact of the matter is that he’ll server them better in the middle order because Warner is going to be at the top of the order. If he can get some runs first up and get into some kind of form, he’s going to really help Australia because they need to bolster their middle order and they need some experience there,” he added.
Ashes 2021-22: Tim Paine not a great wicketkeeper anyway, Australia won’t miss him – WV Raman
Raman further said that he is looking forward to witnessing the clash between Joe Root and Josh Hazlewood in the upcoming Ashes.
“I want to see a battle between Hazlewood and Root. I don’t mind either one because all I want to see is a good tussle,” said Raman.
