Okay, so Tim Paine did something incredibly stupid, although nothing illegal. Years ago. I get it. The role of the Australian Test Cricket Captain is a big deal, and the person filling the role should be beyond reproach.

As Paine falls on his, er, sword, it should be pretty easy to anoint vice-captain Pat Cummins into the role.

But no, Cricket Australia decides it will take a FIVE person panel, which doesn’t include Coach Justin Langer to decide the next captain. How convoluted can the process be?

Cummins for captain, since they’ve been grooming him for the role, with Steve Smith as vice-captain to offer the experienced tactical advice a new captain needs, especially on the eve of an Ashes series.

The process should have taken five minutes.