Ex-Test Skipper Paine Eyes Cricket Return

Tim Paine could be back playing in Tasmania in six weeks as the former captain of Australia's Test cricket team prepares for his comeback to cricket.

Paine is training with Tasmania's state side as an uncontracted player while he prepares to return for the first time since losing the captaincy of the Test in a sexting scandal.
sexting.ink

The 37-year-old retreated from the sport after standing down as Test skipper in November last year.

Paine did not retire, however, the contract he signed did not allow him to play on Tasmania's roster during this summer.

Cricket Tasmania says Paine is back in training.

Tasmania's first game this summer is a one-day game on September 28 against South Australia but Paine is aiming to return in club ranks.

The Premier League, Cricket Tasmania's grade competition for cricket, begins in October.

The opening Sheffield Shield game in Tasmania will begin on October 6.

"We can confirm that Tim is back in training, with the intention of reaching this stage of playing in the CTPL this year," a Cricket Tasmania spokesperson said.

The governing body was not able to make further comments, Paine has a strong ally in Ricky Ponting, a former skipper of Tasmania and Tasmania.

Ponting, recently appointed as the head of strategy for Hobart Hurricanes, has openly expressed his desire for Paine to play again for the BBL franchise.

Paine quit the Test captaincy in 2017 after admitting to having been involved in a sexually explicit text exchange with an employee from Cricket Tasmania.

Cricket Australia secretly investigated at the time and cleared Paine of any wrongdoing. However, Paine resigned on the eve of the 2011 Ashes series after being informed that the text exchange would be made public.

Pat Cummins, Paine's successor in the role of captain of Tests, has stated that the wicketkeeper isn't forgotten.

"Someone like Painey firstly, as a friend you want to make sure that he's in good health.

Cummins declared last week that "we all make mistakes."

"He did the wrong thing, but tried to rectify the situation as best as he could ... I truly feel for him.