Paine rips Pietersen, throws down Ashes gauntlet

3 years ago 325

Australian Test skipper Tim Paine has bluntly rejected immoderate concerns from some existent and erstwhile England players connected whether oregon not the Ashes bid volition instrumentality spot arsenic planned this summer.

"The Ashes are going ahead, the archetypal Test is connected December 8 whether Joe's present oregon not, to beryllium honorable with you," he said connected SEN.

"They each privation to come, there's nary uncertainty astir that. They're trying to get themselves the champion imaginable conditions that they tin get, but astatine the extremity of the time we each are.

"We don't privation to springiness them mediocre conditions due to the fact that we're going to beryllium successful the aforesaid vessel arsenic them."

The skipper said the governing bodies would enactment retired each the details, and the prime was simple: you either marque the travel oregon you don't.

"I don't attraction who comes, I truly don't. I anticipation their champion squad comes," Paine said.

Attention past turned to erstwhile large Kevin Pietersen, who precocious said that players were done with question bubbles.

"If you privation to cognize thing connected immoderate taxable successful the world, you conscionable inquire Kevin Pietersen. He is an adept connected everything," Paine said sarcastically.

"The large happening astir it though, if anyone is talking to Kevin, is nary 1 is forcing you to come. No 1 is forcing immoderate England subordinate to travel - that's the quality of the satellite we unrecorded in, you person a choice.

"If you don't privation to come, don't come."

Paine's comments came successful effect to Root saying helium was "desperate" to beryllium a portion of the series, but that helium and the remainder of the squad would question clarity connected the question and quarantine situations should they caput down under.

"It's 1 of those things, we conscionable person to beryllium patient, we person to hold until we cognize what's happening," Root said.

England volition astir surely beryllium without the services of some their satellite people all-rounders Ben Stokes and Moeen Ali, the erstwhile a agelong changeable to question for the series, and the second announcing his status from Test cricket earlier this week.

For a regular dose of the champion of the breaking quality and exclusive contented from Wide World of Sports, subscribe to our newsletter by clicking here!