Tim Paine acknowledged he needed to "set a better example" for those watching on after the Australia captain was fined for showing dissent at an umpiring decision in the third Test against India.
India managed to lose just three wickets as they secured a draw on a dramatic final day in Sydney, leaving the series delicately poised at 1-1 with the one game to play.
Australia missed chances in the field and wicketkeeper Paine, who dropped three catches behind the stumps, became involved in a verbal exchange with India's Ravichandran Ashwin that was caught on the stump microphone.
However, he was punished by the International Cricket Council for an incident that happened on the third day, having questioned a decision to umpire Paul Wilson.
Paine - who was fined 15 per cent of his match fee, as well as having one demerit point added to his disciplinary record - admitted the offence, making clear in his post-match press conference that he did not mean to be disrespectful to Wilson.
"We all know that the stump microphones are part of the broadcast. It's great to bring the viewers that close, [for them] to be able to hear it," he told the media.
"I probably set a pretty poor example with my use of language. I'm certainly disappointed with myself after I heard that.
"We know we've got to be careful. I've known and had Paul umpiring me for some time, I certainly didn't mean to be disrespectful to him. It was just a heat-of-the-moment audible obscenity, I think that's what I've been done for.
"I need to be better than that. I know that the stump mics are on and I know it's part of the game.
"There are lots of kids watching the Australia Test team - I need to set a better example than that."
Paine's frustration came after a not out decision by on-field umpire Wilson following appeals for a catch at short leg, with the call not being overturned following the use of the DRS.
Addressing the incident again later in his media duties, he said: "I think we do want to take the game as close to the fans and spectators as we can. At times, when the stump mics are on, that's going to happen.
"We try our best but we are not perfect. If the worst thing we have done is let the odd f-bomb go, then I think we're doing okay."
Australia and India now move on to Brisbane for the series decider, with the fourth Test going ahead after the Board of Control for Cricket in India received assurances over quarantine restrictions amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Bahrain 2-2 Australia: Yengi rescues point for visitors with stoppage-time equaliser
Kusini Yengi was the hero for Australia after scoring in the first minute and the 97th to help salvage a 2-2 draw away to Bahrain in their World Cup qualifier on Tuesday.
The result extended manager Tony Popovic's unbeaten start with the Socceroos to four matches, although three of those have been draws.
Things got off to a great start for the visitors, going a goal up inside 40 seconds after Portsmouth forward Kusini Yengi nipped in to intercept an underhit back pass from Sayid Mahdi Baqer and find the net.
Yengi had the next moment of note after hitting the post on 61 minutes from a Riley McGree cross, before a poor touch let him down when well-placed three minutes later.
Australia were made to pay for not killing the game, when Mahdi Abduljabbar lobbed Mat Ryan from 45 yards to get Bahrain level in the 75th minute. It went from bad to worse two minutes later, when Abduljabbar got his second following a defensive mix-up between Ryan and Hayden Matthews.
But Yengi rescued his side deep into stoppage time, reacting quickest to bury a ricocheting ball in the six-yard box. The result was Australia's fourth draw in six matches and leaves them second in Group C on seven points, with teams from third to sixth – including fifth-placed Bahrain – all on six.
'Test cricket is something I’ve always dreamed of': Matthews eager to parade skills in longest format
Hayley Matthews has always dreamed of parading her skills in cricket's longest format. As such, the West Indies women's captain, one of the best players in the world, expressed delight about the Caribbean side's return to playing Test match cricket as they are set to face Australia in 2026.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) made the announcement recently as they unveiled the Women’s Future Tour Programme. This will mark the 50th anniversary of West Indies women’s Test cricket since the first Test between the two countries was played in Jamaica in May 1976.
West Indies women's last Test match was away to Pakistan in 2004.
“Test cricket is something I’ve always dreamed of. Wearing the whites with the badge on your chest would mean a lot. Test cricket is the pinnacle of the game, so being afforded the opportunity to wear whites and put on that ‘baggy’ maroon cap is going to be a huge honour,” Matthews said in an interview with Philip Spooner, the former Head of Media at Cricket West Indies.
“When I heard Test cricket was announced, I was very excited. Playing Test cricket has been an ambition of mine for a very long time, so to be able to get this opportunity to play a few Tests over the next few years is something I’m looking forward to,” she added from her base in Australia.
Matthews is currently on another stint with the Melbourne Renegades in the 10th edition of the Women’s Big Bash League. Her best outing so far was against the Adelaide Strikers when she took two for 28 from four overs and made a match-winning 85 not out off 54 balls in the big win.
She pointed out that there was great anticipation among the other players, and she hoped the fans would come out and embrace the longest format.
“There has obviously been a lot of talk over the last year or two about us playing Test cricket, seeing that so many of the other teams are also playing Test matches. Now that it is confirmed for us, we are very happy it has been locked into the schedule,” Matthew said.
“I hope it does excite the fans a lot. Women’s cricket has grown a lot in the West Indies in recent years, and fans have been paying a lot of attention and focusing on our games. Hopefully, we can have a lot of success before we reach that Test, specifically the ICC Women’s World Cup next year (in India), and that would entice the fans to come out and support us even more," she noted.
The ICC Future Tours Programme also shows the West Indies playing Tests against England in 2027 and in South Africa in 2028, which would mark the first contest between the two teams.
Windies captain Powell takes mixed bag from England series as Bangladesh assignment approaches
West Indies captain Rovman Powell was candid in his assessment of his team’s shortcomings following their 3-1 series loss to England in the recently concluded five-match T20 International series.
Powell acknowledged the challenges the team faced in adapting to conditions early in the series but remained optimistic about their upcoming clashes with Bangladesh. This, as he believes, the Caribbean side once again showed glimpses of its potential throughout the series but were unable to consistently produce a complete performance.
In fact, England’s decision to bowl first in the opening three matches—two at Kensington Oval in Barbados and one at the Darren Sammy Stadium in St Lucia—exposed the West Indies' struggles to navigate challenging conditions.
They lost key wickets in quick succession during the powerplay in all three games, where they posted scores of 182-9, 158-8, and 145-8 and lost by eight wickets, seven wickets, and three wickets in that order.
As such, Powell admitted the team’s inability to adapt cost them dearly.
“I think we always, as a batting group, have a template that we try to work with; unfortunately, the template didn’t work in our first few games. It took us about two or three games to really wonder what’s really happening to us as a batting group, and we also need to sharpen up on a few areas as a bowling group,” Powell said after the rain-affected final game at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground.
While he views their victory in the fourth T20I when they pulled off a historic chase of England’s 218-5, scoring 221-5 to secure a five-wicket win as light at the end of the proverbial tunnel, that win was merely to salvage some pride.
It is with that in mind that Powell highlighted the importance of quicker assessment and adaptability as key takeaways from the series.
“As a team, we need to assess a little bit faster. We didn’t play good cricket for long enough periods, and that made it a tough series. I think a lot of credit has to be given to Jos [Buttler] and his team; they really came in our conditions and dominated,” the Jamaican stated.
Despite the loss, Powell, who was among the standout performers, finishing as the series’ second-highest run scorer with 153 runs, is determined to build on the positives from the England series as they shift focus to the upcoming three-match T20I series against Bangladesh next month.
“The way we played the last (fourth game) showed that we can play really good cricket. If we had just assessed the conditions a little bit earlier in the series, it possibly would have been a different outcome. These are lessons to be learned,” Powell noted.
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