Former Australian skipper and key figure in the infamous underarm incident, Greg Chappell, has appealed to Tim Paine to uphold the integrity of the captain's role.
Chappells words come as Paine faces backlash from cricket fans in Australia and around the world, slamming his unsportsmanlike comments to India's Ravi Ashwin in the third test of the Border-Gavaskar series last week.
In an open letter to the Sydney Morning Herald , Chappell referred to the underarm incident, which occurred nearly 40 years ago.
Chappell recounted the buildup to the moment he ordered his brother Trevor to bowl underarm to New Zealand's Brian McKechnie on the last ball of the match to deny a match-tying six.
"There was a lot going on around the team at the time and without much support, I was involved in a host of off-field discussions around such matters as scheduling, touring, and even conditions of the MCG pitch - which had been sub-par for three to four seasons."
"All of these things contributed to my frustration and anger, which overflowed in the latter stages of that game, leading to my momentary folly."
"But, none of them is an excuse for what happened."
Chappell then took aim at the way sledging has developed in the modern game.
"Some by-play and back-chat has always been part of the game, but one thing that has increased in the modern era is the targeting of select opposition players for constant chatter or banter."
"Abuse is not acceptable in any workplace and talk, in my opinion, is cheap. It does not show one’s strength. Rather, it displays a weakness of character.
"I urge you to impress on the team to let the bat and ball do the talking and set better examples to millions of impressionable little boys and girls, lest they start imitating the worst instincts and actions of their sporting heroes.
Chappell went on to offer his advice to the under-fire captain imploring Paine to learn from the underarm incident.
"The captain is expected to uphold the highest standards, through his actions and restraint even under extreme pressure."
"I failed to do this 40 years ago and I urge you to bear this in mind for the future."
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