Former Australia Test and ODI captain Tim Paine has finally retired from all forms of cricket. The wicketkeeper-batter last featured in a Sheffield Shield game at Hobart on Friday, March 17.
Paine scored 42 (62) for Tasmania in the first innings of the match and was unbeaten for 3 in the second innings. This brought an end to Paine’s first-class career after 95 Sheffield Shield games since his debut in 2005.
The 38-year-old holds the record for the most dismissals by a wicketkeeper in first-class cricket for Tasmania, with 295 dismissals.
Paine made his Test debut for Australia in 2010 against Pakistan and took over as captain in 2018 after the Cape Town sandpapergate scandal, replacing Steve Smith. He led Australia in 23 out of the 35 Tests he played for the country. Notably, Paine was the captain of the Australian Test team when India won their maiden Test series in 2018-19 and when India breached the Gabba fortress in 2020-21, completing a second successive series win.
Paine resigned as captain of the Australian Test team just a week before the Ashes series in 2021, where he was set to lead Australia. This decision came after allegations of sexting became public, and the right-hander pulled out of the series.
He did not receive a Cricket Australia contract in 2022.
So now, Tim may have called it a day on his professional career, his wife Bonnie Maggs has revealed that her husband will have plenty of dad duties to keep him busy.
In her Instagram post, Bonnie wrote: “That’s a wrap!! Proud of you, legend #finallyretired.” (Don’t mind Charlie, long week at school for the little fella) with a teasing smiley.
Tim and Bonnie, a registered nurse, are blessed with two children together, daughter Milla and son Charlie.
