Former Australia Test skipper Tim Paine is likely to feature Hobart Hurricanes during the upcoming edition of the Big Bash League (BBL) with reports quoting team coach Jeff Vaughan as saying the 37-year-old could potentially fill the final vacant spot on the franchise’s list.
Paine had stepped down as the Australia Test captain last year ahead of the Ashes series following the “sexting” saga involving him and a former Cricket Tasmania official in 2007 and was replaced by pacer Pat Cummins as captian.
Paine is also set to return to playing first-class cricket for Tasmania in the 2022-2023 season following fruitful discussions with Cricket Tasmania CEO Dom Baker.
Hurricanes coach Vaughan was quoted as saying by The West Australian that Paine is already a couple of weeks back into training.
“He’s two weeks back into his training schedule again (and has) been really good in the nets,” Vaughan was quoted as saying in the report. “(He’s) good physically, good emotionally. Look, there’s a chance, but he’ll be one of a number of players we’ll look at for that last position,” he added.
Vaughan added the Hurricanes will discuss the last remaining spot on the BBL roster.
“(Paine has) been keeping and telling us how good he’s going. We all have faith and trust in his ‘keeping skill set. He’s very much training as he was 12, 18 months ago,” he added.
Paine has played 43 games for Hobart, the last in BBL-7, and scored a total of 1,119 runs.