Australia cricket: Tim Paine mocked on social media over sexting scandal

Social media have pitched one up to Tim Paine after he stepped down as Australia’s Test captain following his expose in a sexting scandal.

A tearful Paine quit his role on Friday after it was made public that he sent sexually explicit text messages to a female member of staff in 2017.

The married father-of-two young children was investigated by Cricket Australia in 2018 after the Cricket Tasmania employee complained, but cleared of misconduct and the matter kept secret.

Tim Paine has been mocked on social media after his resignation as Australia Test captain

Paine resigned after his part in a sexting scandal from four years ago was made public

Cricket fans on Twitter were quick to take shots at the 36-year-old after his misdemeanour

The 36-year-old sent a photo of his penis to a female co-worker along with a stream of lewd text messages, with one reading: ‘Will you want to taste my d***?? F*** me, I’m seriously hard.’

As a player, Paine is rather outspoken and can rub up opponents the wrong way. As a result, social media was quick to take glee from his faux pas on Twitter.

Stand up comedian Adam Rozenbachs wasted no time in sticking the boot as he wrote: ‘Tim Paine should know a good cricketer doesn’t expose his middle stump. #TheAshes’.

Australian broadcaster Michael Smyth was another who laughed at Paine’s expense. Uploading a picture of the 1896 statue Cain in the public Tuileries Garden of Paris – which depicts the marble figure with its head in its hand – Smyth tweeted: ‘New statue of Tim Paine statue unveiled outside Adelaide Oval.. #TimPaine #Ashes #Cricket’.

Paine’s resignation means Australia are looking for their third Test captain in as many years after Steve Smith was forced to step down following his role in the shameful ‘Sandpapergate’ ball-tampering scandal during Australia’s 2018 tour of South Africa.

And that fact hasn’t been lost either to the delight of many on social media.

Steve Smith cried when he his scandal forced him to step down as Test captain in 2018

Wiltshire-based cricket club Ashton Keynes tweeted this pun: ‘Tim Paine’s been caught “ball tampering” too! When will these guys learn?!’

Josh Moloney shared a photoshop image of Cricket Australia saying no to ball tampering but allowing a sexually-illicit text to be sent. He captioned it: ‘Cricket Australia got some f***** up priorities when making Tim Paine captain…’

Al also mocked up an image that read: ‘0 days since last Cricket Australia scandal’. 

England’s Barmy Army account mocked the fact Paine cried at his press conference and drew up comparisons to Smith doing the same when he had to step down. Marc Van de Velde also tweeted similar.

Paine has often been compared as inferior captain to the disgraced Smith and Brighty wrote: ‘And to summarise Tim Paine’s career as captain of Australia, he couldn’t even cry better than Steve Smith’.