More plot twists have emerged in the Tim Paine sexting scandal which has rocked Australian cricket just weeks out from the start of the Ashes.
According to the Daily Mail, Paine sent the explicit messages on 22 and 23 November 2017, on the eve and morning of the first Ashes Test at the Gabba in Brisbane.
The woman complained in 2018 about ‘Mr Paine’s sexually explicit, unwelcome and unsolicited photograph of his genitals in addition to the graphic sexual comments’.
She is said to have been shocked by the comments and pornographic photo. However, the complaints were only made about seven months later when the woman was charged with stealing. Those charges are still before the courts.
Cricket Australia was not aware of the messages until after Paine was appointed Test captain in March 2018 in the wake of the ball-tampering scandal. Paine was brought in as the saviour of Australian cricket three players including then captain Steve Smith were suspended for cheating.
Cricket Tasmania chairman Andrew Gaggin said the woman was earlier sacked by the organisation, but did not bring the messages up at the time. He said they investigated the complaint as soon as it was received but ‘determined the interaction was consensual, private, occurred on the one occasion only, was between mature adults and was not repeated’.
Paine’s wife Bonnie (pictured with Paine above) was also aware of the messages but has stuck by him. He regular posts on social media portray an idyllic family life and lots of pre-pandemic travel.
In a statement released on Friday, Paine said:
‘Although exonerated, I deeply regretted this incident at the time, and still do today. I spoke to my wife and family at the time and am enormously grateful for their forgiveness and support. We thought this incident was behind us and that I could focus entirely on the team, as I have done for the last three or four years.
However, I recently became aware that this private text exchange was going to become public. On reflection, my actions in 2017 do not meet the standard of an Australian cricket captain, or the wider community. I’m deeply sorry for the hurt and pain that I have caused to my wife, my family, and to the other party. I’m sorry for any damage that this does to the reputation of our sport.’
