'I have absolutely loved it' - Tim Paine reacts on Barmy Army's tweet ahead of the Ashes

The Ashes is constantly in talks owing to the uncertainties over it amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. A few England players have raised concerns over Australia’s strict protocols for the five-match Test series. However, the Australian Test captain Tim Paine and a few other players as well have taken a dig on the visitors for the same.

Paine has lately been in the limelight for his comments on the England Test skipper Joe Root. Previously he had asserted that the Ashes will go ahead with or without Root. Now, after Root confirmed his commitment for the high-profile series, starting December 8, the Barmy Army has taken a jibe at the Tasmania-born Paine.

They posted a tweet that compared the career runs of the two captains. “If Joe Root scores 80 more runs than Tim Paine in the first 2 Ashes Tests, his 2021 Test runs will be higher than Paine’s career Test runs,” the Barmy Army wrote. Paine remained unaffected by the comments and pointed that he will miss the fans.

If Joe Root scores 80 more runs than Tim Paine in the first 2 Ashes Tests, his 2021 Test runs will be higher than Paine's career Test runs 👀 pic.twitter.com/kudOTEDYdN

— England's Barmy Army (@TheBarmyArmy) October 6, 2021

The Barmy Army enjoy poking fun at me but that’s fine: Tim Paine

“The Barmy Army enjoy poking fun at me but that’s fine. It’s actually a bit sad to be honest because it does really add to the atmosphere and they are excellent at what they do. I have been belted, every day, 24 hours a day, and I have absolutely loved it.

“Granted, they do re-use a lot of chants from the English Premier League. I don’t think they’ve come up with too much original in the last 20 years. But they’re excellent, brilliant to have at a cricket ground,” Paine told SEN radio.

Joe Root has been one of the pivotal cogs of England’s wheel. On most occasions, the skipper has stood tall for the team with valuable contributions. Paine thus feels that the comparisons between the two are pointless. He said that England depend on their captain to win games.

“I’d like to say ‘apples and oranges but it’s not even that. The Barmy Army watches a lot of cricket, you would think they would understand the game a little bit better than that. Joe Root – if he wasn’t scoring more runs than me, they would have a serious issue, wouldn’t they? They rely on him to win games of cricket with the bat, I’m a small piece in our jigsaw,” Paine added.