Melbourne: The Australian cricket team has suffered a major setback ahead of the Ashes series. Test captain Tim Paine has resigned from his post. Vice-captain Pat Cummins can now play the role of captain in the Ashes. On the other hand, either Alex Kerry or Josh Inglis may get the responsibility of wicketkeeping for the first Test in the absence of Paine.

Tim Paine said in a press conference, 'Today I am announcing my resignation as captain of the Australian men's Test team. It's an incredibly difficult decision, but right for me, my family, and cricket.' The reason behind Tim Paine's quitting the captaincy is an alleged sex scandal. According to media reports, Tim Paine sent a pornographic photo of himself to a cricket Tasmania employee in 2017. At the same time, they also sent objectionable messages. Now that the matter has come to light, Tim Paine has had to step down from the captaincy ahead of the Ashes series.

Tim Paine was named the 46th Australian Test captain in 2018 to replace Steve Smith. He captained the team during the 2019 Ashes series, where Australia retained the prestigious trophy on foreign soil for the first time in 18 years. The men's Ashes is set to begin next month, when Australia will host England in Brisbane on December 8.

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