Sports
FORMER Australia captain Tim Paine has retired from domestic cricket after playing for Tasmania in their Sheffield Shield match against Queensland.
The 38-year-old wicketkeeper was given a guard of honour as he left the field at Bellerive Oval following the game.
Paine played 35 Tests for Australia, with 23 of those as captain after he took over from Steve Smith.
Smith was stripped of the role after a ball-tampering controversy during Australia’s 2018 tour of South Africa.
Paine has not played international cricket since January 2021 and last played domestic white-ball cricket in December 2022.
Under Paine’s captaincy, Australia retained the Ashes in 2019 with a 2-2 draw, becoming the first Australia side to do so in England since 2001.
They won 11, lost eight and drew four Tests during his tenure as captain. He also played 35 one-day internationals for his country and 12 Twenty20s.
Paine stepped down as Australia Test captain in November 2021 before the Ashes over a historical investigation into sexually explicit texts to a female colleague.
He said he was “exonerated”, but stepped down as he had learned his texts were set to be revealed publicly.
Paine then took a leave of absence from the game, with his manager saying the player was taking “an indefinite mental health break”, before he returned to play for Tasmania in October 2022.
He did not receive a Cricket Australia contract in 2022.
“He’s been a phenomenal player,” said Tasmania captain Jordan Silk.
“It’s an incredible effort to have the longevity that he’s had. He’s certainly going to be missed behind the stumps.
“I’m sure a lot of guys who are playing now will say that there will never be another keeper as good as Tim Paine in Australia. So we’ve been incredibly blessed down here.”
–BBC sport
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Tags: Bellerive Oval Tim Paine
