Former Test captain Tim Paine has been appointed head coach of the Australia “A” team for the current season, as the national side prepares for a generational shift with several senior players nearing retirement.
Paine, who retired from professional cricket in 2023, has since worked in media and served in various support roles with the Australia women’s team and the “A” programme. However, he announced on Friday that he will step away from his radio show on SEN to focus fully on coaching.
“It’s time to spread my wings,” Paine told listeners. “I’ve been assisting with Australia ‘A’, and now the opportunity has come to lead as head coach. It’s tough to balance a coaching career while staying active in media. This is the right move.”
Paine expressed enthusiasm about mentoring emerging talent in the Australia “A” setup, calling it an “exciting” programme with “a lot of young talent.”
His appointment comes at a crucial time for Australian cricket. After this year’s Ashes series, several Test mainstays—Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon, Steve Smith, and Usman Khawaja—could retire, prompting a significant reshuffle.
Cricket Australia confirmed Paine will continue supporting the national women’s team and maintain his coaching role with the Adelaide Strikers in the Big Bash League.
Paine became Australia’s Test captain in 2018 following the infamous ball-tampering scandal in South Africa and led the team through a period of rebuilding, including the successful Ashes retention in England in 2019. He stepped down before the 2021-22 Ashes series due to a personal scandal.
