Full name : Timothy David Paine
Born : December 8, 1984, Hobart, Tasmania
Current age : 24 years
Major teams : Australia, Australia A, Tasmania
Nickname : Kid
Playing role : Wicketkeeper batsman
Batting style : Right-hand bat
Bowling style : Right-arm medium
Fielding position : Wicketkeeper
Height ; 1.80 m
Education : Lauderdale Primary, Rokeby High
Profile
A talented top-order batsman and wicketkeeper, Tasmania's Tim Paine was earmarked as next in line behind Brad Haddin for ODI honours when he was picked in Australia's one-day squad to tour England in 2009. It came after a strong Australia A series, in which Paine made 134 opening the batting against Pakistan A to confirm his limited-overs abilities. In 2008-09, Paine had confirmed his place as Tasmania's wicketkeeper in all formats after battling with Sean Clingeleffer for the Sheffield Shield place in previous seasons. He scored 445 Shield runs at 29.66 and collected 42 dismissals and his importance to the team was recognised when he was named Tasmania's vice-captain for 2009-10. Paine has learnt how to combine his batting and wicketkeeping roles having in the past struggled to manage the two productively. In 2006-07, Paine had been playing as a specialist batsman when his superb 215 opening against Western Australia in his fifth first-class match placed significant pressure on Clingeleffer. A few games later, Paine was handed the gloves but the added responsibility affected his batting - his six innings during that time yielded one score in double-figures and an average of 4.66 - and the previous arrangement was restored. Still, Paine played every match in Tasmania's Pura Cup-winning season, scoring 621 runs at 31.05, and it seemed only a matter of time before he would again be behind the stumps in the first-class team.
Paine has had no such trouble with his twin roles in the limited-overs format, where he has often opened the batting. He was a consistent contributor in Tasmania's triumphant 2007-08 campaign and finished with 261 runs at 37.28 along with 21 dismissals. His top score of 115 came in the final preliminary match against South Australia as the Tigers built momentum ahead of the decider. The previous year Paine was the state's highest scorer in the one-day arena with 314 runs at 31.40, and in his debut year of 2005-06, he celebrated his first state century with 111 in the ING Cup. He had been earmarked for great things when the Tigers signed him to a rookie contract at the tender age of 16. Paine, who captained the Australia Under-19 team to the 2004 World Cup in Bangladesh, has had three stints at the Academy.
