Tim Paine announced he would be taking a break from the game to avoid burnout after his Ashes success. He will take time off for one week and then assess what is next on route to retirement.
Tim Paine, former Australia captain and current wicketkeeper for the Sydney Sixers, has taken an immediate break from the game. This is due to a back injury that he sustained during the Big Bash League.
Tim Paine, the former Australia Test captain, will miss the forthcoming Ashes series against England after declaring his retirement from all forms of cricket.
Cricket Tasmania announced in a statement that Paine, 36, had informed them that he would be taking a leave of absence “for the foreseeable future.”
“Over the summer, we will continue to support Tim and his family both professionally and emotionally,” the company said.
The state association’s head, Andrew Gaggin, said earlier this week that Paine’s treatment by Cricket Australia had been “appalling.”
Paine’s manager, James Henderson, announced on Twitter that the player is taking a “indefinite mental health hiatus.”
“We are tremendously worried about his and [wife] Bonnie’s well-being,” he continued. “At this moment, we will make no more remark.”
In November 2017, Paine exchanged texts to a coworker at Cricket Tasmania, prompting a misconduct inquiry when she made charges against him in 2018.
Cricket Australia (CA) cleared him of any infraction of their code of conduct at the time, and Cricket Tasmania decided “no further action was necessary or warranted,” he added.
Paine resigned at a teary news conference in Hobart after discovering the messages would be made public, claiming his conduct did not fit the “standard of an Australian cricket captain, or the larger society.”
The first Test against England will take place in Brisbane on December 8th.
After Steve Smith was banned for a year for his role in a ball-tampering incident and attempted cover-up during a series against South Africa in March 2018, Paine was named Test captain.
He captained Australia in 23 Tests, winning 11, losing eight, and drawing four. However, under his leadership, Australia won the Ashes in 2019 with a 2-2 tie, being the first Australian team to do so since 2001.
However, India defeated Australia at home in both 2018-19 and earlier this year, with the latter series resulting in Australia’s first Test loss at the Gabba in Brisbane since 1988.
Paine also expressed regret for his actions during the drew third Test against India in Sydney in January, when he slews spinner Ravichandran Ashwin and was penalised 15% of his match fee for dissent and screaming at umpire Paul Wilson.
Spinner Nathan Lyon and hitter Marcus Harris both claimed earlier this week that Paine had the team’s “complete backing.”
“The selectors said that they would choose the best available XI,” Lyon explained. “Tim Paine, in my opinion, is the finest goalkeeper in the world.”
Inglis might benefit from Paine’s absence – analysis
Stephan Shemilt is a sports journalist.
Tim Paine was preparing for possibly the biggest moment of his career a week ago: leading his team in an Ashes series at home. His international career seems to be ended now.
While there is legitimate cause for worry for Paine and his family, the Ashes begin in less than two weeks.
Australia is currently searching for a new captain as well as a wicketkeeper. Are they going to be destabilized or galvanized?
Josh Inglis, one of two glovemen in Australia A with Alex Carey, might make his Test debut as a result of the knock-on.
In a parallel universe, Inglis may be a member of the England national team. He was born in Leeds and migrated to Australia with his family when he was a teenager. He admits to favouring England over Australia as late as 2017.
