Ashes 2021-22 | Tim Paine scandal will be a distraction for Australian team, says Ricky Ponting

Australia wicket-keeper batsman, Tim Paine stepped down as Test captain last Friday after his sexually explicit text messages sent to a former female colleague at Cricket Tasmania in 2017 resurfaced. In 2018, an integrity unit investigation was set up to look into the matter and it had cleared him off the charges. 

Meanwhile, former Australia captain Ricky Ponting has stated that the Paine scandal will inevitably be a distraction during the upcoming five-match Ashes series against England.  

"I think inevitably it will (be a distraction)," Ponting told cricket.com.au. "Yes, he's made a huge call for himself, for Australian cricket and for the betterment of the Australian cricket team. But it's not going to go away.

"We're only a few weeks out from the first Test – it will bubble along.

Ponting also added that the team needs to move on and play quality cricket in the upcoming Ashes series.

"As much as we would all love to see it go away and there comes a point where it's never talked about, it's inevitable that it's going to be there," he said.

"If he plays in Brisbane (for the first Test), the rest of the group and everyone needs to move on and do the best they can to forget about it and knuckle down.

Ponting reckoned that Tim Paine is going to be asked about the controversy everywhere he goes, and that is going to be a difficult period for the wicket-keeper batsman.

"Unfortunately for Tim, he's going to get asked about it everywhere he goes. Whenever you make mistakes and you've got to front up in front of the cricket-loving public, you have some doubts in the back of your mind for a period of time," said Ponting

The first Ashes Test will be played at The Gabba, Brisbane, from December 8.