Former Australian Test captain Tim Paine has called for perspective in the wake of Australia’s ODI series loss to Pakistan at home. The defeat has stirred criticism, but Paine argues that the media and fans should keep the situation in context, as the team was largely composed of newer, less experienced players rather than the full-strength World Cup-winning lineup.
Paine, speaking on his radio show SEN Tassie, expressed his frustration with what he viewed as an overreaction from some commentators and analysts. He reminded listeners that the primary goal of this series was to give younger and fringe players international exposure while the regular stars prepared for important upcoming Test and white-ball series.
“It annoyed me,” Paine admitted. “Six or seven of the guys in that team were new faces. Let’s just pump the brakes on all this talk of, ‘I can’t believe the World Champions are playing like this.’ We’re building up our depth by giving younger players international experience, while the core squad rests for two very significant series. Relax, it’s okay.”
Australia’s ODI squad for the series included established stars like captain Pat Cummins, Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell Starc, and Josh Hazlewood, but in the deciding third ODI, the team introduced fresh talent. With Josh Inglis captaining, young players like Matt Short, Cooper Connolly, Lance Morris, and Spencer Johnson stepped in to face a strong Pakistan side.
Pakistan capitalized on Australia’s inexperience in the final ODI, dismissing them for 140 runs and achieving an easy victory in Perth. Despite this, Paine underscored that fans shouldn’t confuse this developmental squad with the elite group that won the World Cup.
“This isn’t the World Cup-winning team,” Paine said. “The core of that team is preparing for upcoming series. Criticizing this young squad like it’s the same team is just unfair. Let’s give them some time and patience as they build up their experience.”
In calling for calm, Paine emphasized that Australia’s priorities remain clear: preparing the main players for critical fixtures ahead while developing future talent.
