In his first game since a sexting scandal ruined his international career, former Australia captain Tim Paine was eliminated cheaply on Thursday, and his homecoming did little to motivate his state team Tasmania.
In his first game since a sexting scandal ruined his international career, former Australia captain Tim Paine was eliminated cheaply on Thursday, and his homecoming did little to motivate his state team Tasmania. When sexual text messages he sent to a female colleague in 2017 were going to be made public, the 37-year-old resigned from his position as Test captain last November, just before Australia’s Ashes campaign against England.
After a week, the issue had caught up to him, and he decided to retire from all kinds of cricket for the “foreseeable future.”
He never did retire, though, and Tasmania coach Jeff Vaughan said last week that he was mentally and physically prepared to play again.
According to Vaughan, “physically he is arguably in the best place of his physical career.” He is emotionally stable.
A small crowd cheered Paine as he entered the pitch for the Sheffield Shield match against Queensland at Allan Border Field.
The veteran wicketkeeper, though, only managed to score six runs while batting at position seven, edging a short-pitched delivery from Gurinder Sandhu to Matthew Renshaw at slip as Tasmania slipped to 74-6.
