Tasmania great Tim Paine says quiet goodbye to first-class cricket following draw in final Shield game

Tasmania great Tim Paine quietly decided to step aside from first-class cricket following his team’s draw against Queensland in the final group round of Sheffield Shield. The 38-year-old Paine didn’t make any prior announcement about his retirement plans but is believed to have informed his teammates ahead of the match. Paine was given a guard of honour as he left Bellerive Oval for the last time following the early conclusion of the match on the final day.

While Paine didn’t even come out for the post-match presser, Tasmania captain Jordon Silk informed the media about Tim’s decision to retire from first-class cricket.

“He’s been a phenomenal player. I think it’s around 22 years of professional cricket. It’s an incredible effort to have the longevity that he’s had. He’s certainly going to be missed behind the stumps,” Silk said.

Showering praises on the former Australian captain, Silk said how Paine contributed with the bat and how he operated behind the wickets even at this age is commendable. Silk added Paine had set an example in the Tasmanian camp with his work ethic and that everyone in the dressing room respects him.

“Considering his age the level of the standard of keeping and he’s still been able to generate has been really incredible. He’s always someone that you know is doing the work behind the scenes. I think he sets a great example for work ethic and all that sort of stuff for all of our guys,” Silk added.

In a career that spanned over 18 years, the right-handed batter played 154 first-class matches, including 35 Tests and 95 Shield matches. He scored 6490 first-class runs at an average of 29.63 with three centuries including a best of 215.

Meanwhile, following the sandpaper gate sage in Cape Town in 2017 after which the regular skipper Steve Smith and openers David Warner and Cameron Bancroft got suspended for a year, Tim Paine got appointed as the new Test captain. The keeper-batter led Australia in 23 Tests from 2018 to 2021 before his Test career came to an abrupt end following the sexting controversy he got involved in.