Australian Test skipper Tim Paine clarified that he wasn’t surprised when Aaron Finch officially replaced him as the One-Day International (ODI) captain insisting his plan was always to just focus on the longest format of the game.

During a recent interview with cricket.co.au., Paine said, “The plan … was to focus just on Test cricket. Then obviously what happened, happened and all of a sudden, we didn’t have a captain or vice-captain. So I think it was about having some stability in the team when Justin first took over. But I was always aware of the fact that I wasn’t going to be the person going forward for the World Cup and they would look in another direction.”

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Paine was never really in the fray for a spot in the ODI squad but with the events unfolding the way it did during the infamous Cape Town Test, the wicket-keeper got the leadership in Test and temporarily the ODI captaincy as well. But, he self-admittedly said that even before the five-match ODI series in England which Australia lost 5-0, he knew that the selectors were not seeing him as a long-term ODI prospect. The 33-year-old though insists that focussing on one format now is in some ways a “blessing a disguise”.

Describing the same, Paine said, “I saw it coming before the UK tour, to be honest. Clearly, had I gone there and scored three centuries, things might have been different. But I knew the plan was that this was the way they’d be going. I think it will be (a blessing in disguise). It’s one of the things that I’m quite excited by – to just focus on one form of the game and focus on how I want this (Test) team to develop.”

Paine has been a long-standing advocate of Finch and has no fuss in admitting that the opener is currently Australia’s best player in ODIs. Having played with and against the opener in national and state teams, Finch’s tactical nuances have impressed Paine a fair bit. With Australia facing South Africa in a home three-match ODI series following which India arrive on their shores for a full series, it will a true test of skills and leadership across all formats but Paine is confident of a good show.