WTC Final: Australia captain Tim Paine apologises to Kiwi fans after New Zealand’s victory, here’s why

Tim Paine also said that the ICC can make the World Test Championship (WTC) cycle a little better, adding that one should not take anything away from New Zealand.

Australia captain Tim Paine (Source: Twitter)

Australia skipper Tim Paine has issued an apology to New Zealand fans after his bold prediction went horribly wrong. Paine had earlier predicted that India would “comfortably beat New Zealand” in the ICC World Test Championship Final (WTC Final) in Southampton. But it was the Kane Williamson’s side which emerged victorious in the end and that too quite comfortably.

“We all get some wrong. I copped a bit from the Kiwi fans, so I thought I’d come on air and eat some humble pie. I thought the New Zealanders played outstandingly,” Tim Paine told New Zealand radio station Newstalk ZB.

“It’s always a pleasure to watch the way they go about it. For such a small nation – I’m from Tasmania, which is obviously our smallest resource state and we punch above our weight – so I certainly respect what the Kiwis do on an international stage,” Tim Paine added.

However, Tim Paine said that the International Cricket Council (ICC) can make the World Test Championship (WTC) cycle a little better, adding that one should not take anything away from New Zealand.

Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor played unbeaten knocks off 52 and 47 respectively as New Zealand defeated India by eight wickets to clinch the inaugural edition of the WTC here at the Ageas Bowl, Southampton on Wednesday.

“You want to be playing in that Test – that’s why I couldn’t watch the first three or four nights of it because I was dirty that we weren’t there. It’s a showpiece event, it’s a World Cup final. Can we make it better? Yes, we probably can but we shouldn’t take anything away from New Zealand,” Paine told Newstalk ZB, as reported by stuff.co.nz.