Sadness, frustration before reign of Paine

Australia's Test and ODI captain Tim Paine says there was a point in his career when struggled so badly to come to terms with his rotten run of injuries that the mere sight of his Baggy Green cap "pissed me off".

Paine, who was appointed Test captain amid the fallout from the Cape Town ball-tampering scandal, only returned to the Test side last summer after a hiatus of more than seven years – a period in which he was plagued by endless finger problems and ultimately a severe loss of form with the bat.

"I couldn't get a run," Paine said in March of a three-season period (2014-15 through to 2016-17) in which he scored 409 runs from 27 innings at 16.36, with a highest score of 41.

"I think I just had some mental demons, really. I came back from a finger injury probably thinking that it was going to be a bit easier than it was.

"And then when it didn't happen I probably started to panic a little bit, to be honest. Cricket is a massive confidence game and I just completely lost my confidence.

"I couldn't score a run in club cricket three years ago."

At the start of the 2017-18 season, Tasmania coach Adam Griffith had to convince Paine – who had all but conceded his first-class career was over – to remain with the Tigers rather than taking up a job offer in Melbourne.

Little more than six months on, he has been entrusted as the man to navigate Australia through the most turbulent waters they have faced since the tragic death of Phillip Hughes.

And with new coach Justin Langer wanting uniformity across the Test and ODI leadership, Paine's official reign begins next month, as Australia head to the UK for a five-match ODI showdown with the world's No.1 team, and next year's World Cup hosts, England.

It is a scarcely believable turnaround for the 33-year-old, who logically figured his international days were long over when he was omitted from Tasmania's Sheffield Shield side at the beginning of last summer.

At that point, the Baggy Green was gathering dust; he had worn it four times during a four-month period in 2010, but not since.

"I didn't like looking at it, I didn't like seeing it when I felt so far away from it, particularly after the finger stuff," he told News Corp.

"During the operations I was fine, I thought I would get back, I'd be fine, but when that didn't work out I didn't like seeing it, that's for sure.

"When I did have to get it out to move house or something I didn't try it on or look at it – I put it away as quickly as possible.

"It just made me feel a little sad, I think. It got to the stage where it pissed me off.

"I was that bloke who would have been a good cricketer but got injured."

Since his return, Paine has been exceptional with the gloves, particularly reliable with the bat, and a mature and thoughtful presence both on and off the field – to the point that despite his recent recall, he was widely hailed as the logical captaincy choice when the ball-tampering incident wiped out leadership pair Steve Smith and David Warner.

And while leg-spin legend Shane Warne yesterday questioned his credentials long term, the Tasmanian has strong support in Langer.

"To me, leadership is everything," Langer said in his first press conference as head coach. "Tim (Paine is) a fantastic young bloke, I've loved him since he's come in.

"He's got a bit of charisma, he trains hard, he's fit, he's a very good cricketer.

"I think he'll be outstanding for the job at the moment."

Qantas ODI Tour of England

June 7 Warm-up v Sussex, Hove (D/N)

June 9 Warm-up v Middlesex, Lord's

June 13 First ODI, The Oval (D/N)

June 16 Second ODI, Cardiff

June 19 Third ODI, Trent Bridge (D/N)

June 21 Fourth ODI, Durham (D/N)

June 24 Fifth ODI, Old Trafford

June 27 Only T20, Edgbaston (D/N)

T20I tri-series in Zimbabwe

Sunday, July 1: Zimbabwe vs Pakistan

Monday, July 2: Pakistan vs Australia

Tuesday, July 3: Australia vs Zimbabwe

Wednesday, July 4: Zimbabwe vs Pakistan

Thursday, July 5: Pakistan vs Australia

Friday, July 6: Australia vs Zimbabwe

Sunday, July 8: Final