Former Australian Test captain Tim Paine has taken issue with Matthew Hayden's comments concerning the lack of cricketing "greats" overseeing Australia's program.
In an interview with Wisden Cricket Monthly, Hayden, who has previously been part of Pakistan's coaching staff, said he would not coach the Australian side on account of the poor treatment of his former teammate Justin Langer in the lead role.
The 52-year-old also took aim at the lack of former Australian cricketing greats currently involved with the national men's side.
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However, Paine has since come to the defence of head coach Andrew McDonald, chairman of selectors George Bailey and assistant coach Michael Di Venuto, who he claims are all great cricketers in their own right having represented the green and gold at various stages, albeit without the success of the likes of Hayden and Langer.
"He says, 'What's quite interesting is there is not a former great that is actually at the helm of Australian cricket. That's not on, not a chairman of selectors, not as a coach and not as a board member'," Paine told SEN.
"He was going (on about cricketing greats) all day, but one: What's a great player?
"George Bailey played cricket for Australia and had a 20-year career, Andrew McDonald played Test cricket for Australia and had a 20-year career, Michael Di Venuto played for Australia and had a 25-year career.
"I would consider them great players, they are not great Test players, but they've been involved in cricket for a very long time, and they know what they're doing.
"That's the first thing."
Pain also disputed Hayden's criticism, arguing that great players do not always make the best choices for non-playing roles.
"Secondly … being a great player in any sport is not a rite of passage to being a great coach, a great administrator or a great selector," he said.
"What you want is the best people in those positions, whether they've played 100 Tests or zero Tests.
"You give me a footy coach, apart from back in the day with Leigh Matthews and Ron Barassi, back then it happened a bit more, but coaching has evolved a hell of a lot from those days.
"It's a different kettle of fish and more often than not, the great players don't have the empathy, the compassion … they're a bit different most of the time.
"That's why these types of players end up, I think being better coaches and better selectors."
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