Australia cricket captain resigns after "'sexting" scandal

Australia's test cricket captain has quit after being investigated by Cricket Australia for sending explicit text messages to a female co-worker.

Veteran wicketkeeper Tim Paine was named in a News Corp. report as being at the center of the sexting scandal. The 36-year-old Paine appeared before media on Friday to announce he was resigning the captaincy but wanted to remain a member of the test squad.

The announcement comes less than three weeks before the Dec. 8 start of the Ashes series against England.

“It’s an incredibly difficult decision, but the right one for me, my family, and cricket,” Paine said. “As a background on my decision, nearly four years ago, I was involved in a text exchange with a then-colleague.

“At the time, the exchange was the subject of a thorough CA integrity unit investigation, throughout which I fully participated in and openly participated in. Although exonerated, I deeply regretted this incident at the time, and still do today."

The messages date to 2017, months before Paine was recalled to the test team after a seven-year absence.

IMAGE: AP