Look out England, Australian Test skipper Time Paine is back and raring to go

Australia’s Test skipper Tim Paine will finally return to the playing arena with the first Ashes Test just around the corner. LATEST >>

A SIGNIFICANT part of Australia’s Ashes defence will take place at the quaint Hobart suburban ground of Queenborough Oval on Saturday when Test skipper Tim Paine returns to the playing field.

Paine is back in full training after having surgery on a bulging disc in September and is raring to go for club side University against hosts South Hobart-Sandy Bay — the former club of national selection chairman George Bailey — on Saturday.

In a great sign of his progress, Paine will take the wicketkeeping gloves in the club game before backing up with a four-day game for Tasmania’s second XI against South Australia in Hobart starting on Monday.

He will be the Tigers gloveman in the four-day match as well.

Cricket Australia confirmed to the Mercury Paine would be back in action starting from this weekend.

Australia's captain Tim Paine. Picture AFP

It was toyed with Paine playing in Tasmania’s Sheffield Shield game against Western Australian at Blundstone Arena starting on Sunday but was decided against as it was far easier to remove Paine from a second XI game than a first class game should something unforeseen occur.

The skipper, who turns 37 on day one of the first Ashes Test at the Gabba on December 8, was being “held back” by medical staff given he hasn’t played a game of cricket since a Sheffield Shield match in April.

Meanwhile, Paine and Cricket Tasmania are still waiting on word about the location of the fifth Test, presently scheduled for Perth.

A CA spokesman said negotiations were continuing with the West Australian government over the state’s quarantine rules for visitors entering from NSW, with Sydney the host city of the fourth Test.

England strongly stated it would not be entering in quarantine again after its initial entry into Australia, leaving some doubt over Perth being able to host the Test.

CT is desperate to host a historic Ashes Test that would be Paine’s first – and possibly last — Test in his home state.

But in some good news, Hobart has been confirmed as one of the host cities for Australia’s home defence of the T20 World Cup in the back end of next year.

Premier makes push for Ashes Test in Tassie

HOSTING an Ashes Test would be the biggest sporting event ever held in Tasmania, Premier Peter Gutwein said.

The Tasmanian government will today write to Cricket Australia to formally detail Tasmania’s bid to host the Fifth Test at Bellerive Oval.

Perth is scheduled to host the match starting on January 14, with all players and officials coming directly from the previous Test in Sydney.

But WA’s hard border lockdown has put the match in doubt.

Tasmania’s borders open for double-vaccinated travellers from December 15.

Mr Gutwein said it was his ambition “to put Tasmania front and centre on the national stage”.

“That is by working to host what would without doubt be the state’s biggest sporting event that we’ve hosted to date in an Ashes test match between Australia and the old enemy England here in Tasmania at Blundstone Arena,” he told parliament

“I’ve spoken to the CEO of Cricket Tasmania in recent days.,

Premier Peter Gutwein addresses the Tasmanian House of Assembly during Question Time on Wednesday, October 10, 2021.

“Today I will be writing to Cricket Australia to formally put our case for the relocation of the Fifth Test match scheduled to commence on the 14th of January in WA.

“As WA clearly said their borders will not be open by then. Now the government is prepared to work with Cricket Australia to get the match played in Tasmania and the match could be the one that decides the series. Tasmania stands ready to host that important match right here.”

Labor leader Rebecca White said her party supposed the bid, but accused it of using the annoucement to create a ”smokescreen” to deflect from a crisis in child protection.

Tassie Ashes Test confidence building

CONFIDENCE is growing at Cricket Tasmania that the state could be on the cusp of hosting its “biggest ever sporting event” – an Ashes Test.

While Perth hosting the fifth Test remains Cricket Australia’s No.1 option, the state’s hardline stance on border restrictions has the match’s location in doubt.

WA borders will not reopen until a 90 per cent vaccination rate is reached, predicted to be weeks after the fifth Test start date of January 14, and that state’s Premier Mark McGowan has insisted there will be no exemptions for cricketers.

Adding to this, as revealed by the Mercury, the Tasmanian government is working with CT on a budget to underwrite a Hobart Ashes Test.

CT chairman Andrew Gaggin said he was buoyed by conversations behind closed doors.

“We are continuing negotiations and I can tell you they are well advanced,” Gaggin said.

“If a Test match becomes available we would be confident that it would be scheduled in Hobart.

“Obviously the match is still scheduled in Perth but we are well placed to host the fifth Test if Perth is unavailable. We are confident we can deliver a top event.”

Cricket Tasmania chairman Andrew Gaggin. Picture: NIKKI DAVIS-JONES

While CA has taken a massive financial hit, Gaggin said he was confident Blundstone Arena could host a Test that would be cost effective for the governing body as well as being a huge economic return on the government’s investment – predicted to be in the seven-figure range.

“The government is keen to see top-level sport in Tasmania,” he said.

“We’ve shown we can host major events like we did with the AFL finals and it would be a very considerable input into the Tasmanian economy from tourists and the Barmy Army.

“You could expect there would be a big return on this type of game to the economy.”

He said there was no deadline yet for a decision on the Perth Test, but one could be made in coming weeks.

But England had made it clear pre-tour it did not want its players to quarantine again after arriving in Australia or be forced to live in a hub or bubble.

With only five days scheduled between the end of the fourth Test in Sydney and the start of the fifth Test, it makes quarantine impossible if Perth was to host the match as its rules currently stand.

There is also the possibility of Melbourne or Sydney doubling up and hosting the fifth Test to maximise attendance revenue at the expense of growing the game nationally.

Cricket also faces direct summer competition in Tasmania, with the NBL’s newest franchise, the JackJumpers, to tip off in early December.

“We want cricket to be front and centre,” Gaggin said.

“The best way to do that is to have the biggest sporting event in Tasmania’s history, which I think an Ashes Test would be.”

Government’s cheque book open to bring Ashes Test to Tassie

TASMANIA’S push for a historic Ashes Test will have the Tasmanian government’s financial clout as backing.

It is understood the Tasmanian government in conjunction with Cricket Tasmania is working on a strategy to underwrite Hobart’s Blundstone Arena hosting a Test between cricket’s oldest opponents should a match become available.

Cricket Australia remains committed to Perth hosting the fifth Test, but that scenario is becoming increasingly unlikely, with Western Australia premier Mark McGowan announcing his state would not open up to NSW and Victoria until WA reaches a 90 per cent vaccination rate.

That is not expected to be reached until weeks after the start of the Perth Test on January 14, with Mr McGowan also stating on Friday there would be no exemptions for cricketers.

The issue for CA is the Test before the Perth fixture is in Sydney, finishing on January 9 – not giving teams enough time to quarantine between matches as WA rules currently state.

Tasmania’s borders are set to open on December 15, meaning an Ashes Test underwritten by the government would be an economic stimulus for tourism and hospitality given large numbers in the travelling “Barmy Army” and the chance to broadcast the city and state internationally to millions.

Tim Paine of Australia celebrates with the Urn after Australian drew the series to retain the Ashes in England. Picture Getty

Channel 7, broadcasters of the cricket this summer, is understood to be in favour of Sydney hosting two Tests back to back to save on transport and logistics costs, but the low running cost for Blundstone Arena and the Test being underwritten by the Tasmanian government could throw Hobart right back into contention.

An added bonus is the game would not only be Tasmania’s first Ashes match, but also Test skipper Tim Paine’s first, and most likely only, Test on home soil.

CT chief executive Dominic Baker was unavailable on Friday, but it is believed he has been in constant talks with Mr Gutwein’s office to work on a budget for a Tasmanian Test.

It is believed CT is even prepared to consider different financial models to make playing in Tasmania viable and land the state’s Ashes debut.

It comes as the Australia-Afghanistan Test, scheduled to be played in Hobart laster this month, was officially postponed due to the returned Taliban government’s hard line fundamentalist stance on women playing sport.

In a statement, Mr Baker said while the situation was disappointing for all involved, the state association supported CA’s position.

“Playing international cricket in our state remains a high priority for Cricket Tasmania and we will be working closely with Cricket Australia on international content opportunities for our Tasmanian cricket fans for both this and future seasons,” Mr Baker said.

Afghanistan all-rounder and T20I captain Mohammad Nabi said he was pleased the match had not been scrapped altogether.

“It’s disappointing the Test match isn’t going ahead this year, but I’m happy that the match is only postponed and not cancelled,” he said.

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