SYDNEY: Former Australia Test captain Tim Paine retired from cricket with little fanfare on Friday, bowing out after taking part in an inter-state match in Tasmania.
Paine led Australia between 2018 and 2021 after Steve Smith was stripped of the captaincy within the wake of the “Sandpaper-gate” ball-tampering incident in opposition to South Africa.
He skippered the group in 23 Tests — profitable 11, dropping eight and drawing 4 — and was credited with serving to rebuild Australian cricket’s popularity.
Paine was compelled to face down after it was revealed he had despatched lewd messages to a feminine colleague in 2017.
As the scandal took its toll, he stepped away from cricket for the “foreseeable future”, returning to the sport almost a yr later in October 2022.
The wicketkeeper-batsman, 38, performed his last first-class sport for state facet Tasmania in a home fixture in opposition to Queensland on Friday, strolling off by a guard of honour fashioned by gamers.
“An inspiring captain, one of our finest glovesman and a legend of Tasmanian and Australian cricket,” the Tasmanian Tigers stated in an announcement.
“Congratulations Tim Paine on a truly wonderful career.”
Paine performed 35 Tests for Australia, with a prime rating of 92 and a median of 32.63. He additionally performed 35 ODIs.
Australia regained the Ashes in England in 2019 below Paine’s management, in what was in any other case a turbulent interval for the Test facet.
Current Test skipper Pat Cummins took over from Paine in November 2021, describing him on the time as a “well-loved and respected figure of our team”.
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