- Puts Paine in serious doubt for Ashes series against England
- Comes a week after he stepped down as Australian captain
Tim Paine will take an indefinite leave of absence from all cricket “for the foreseeable future”, throwing into serious doubt his availability for both the Ashes and his future in the international game.
Less than two weeks before the start of Australia’s series defence against England, Paine’s manager announced he would take a “mental health break” in the wake of the text message scandal which prompted the veteran wicket-keeper batsman to stand down as Australian Test captain last Friday.