It seemed like Australia had gone down a new path. A new era was set to be unveiled where the team, under head coach Justin Langer, would try to be nice human beings.
This sort of talk did not last long.
The Aussie tongues once again started wagging with Paine, of all people, leading the charge. But with two successive Test series losses at home to India, knives started getting sharper. Former Aussie players, usually the bugbear of all incumbent Test captains, started getting louder. Paine was their target, especially the one man of many virtues, Shane Warne.
Enter, Smith
So, it was only a question of time that Paine would be the target again before the upcoming Ashes. We now know that the time was closer than we imagined. Now with Paine gone, both as a player and captain, from the upcoming Ashes, the mantle has gone to fast bowler Pat Cummins. But what is even more surprising is the return of Smith in a leadership role! Three years after he was banished in the hope of finding a new…