Tim Paine To Skip BBL To Prepare For Red-Ball Cricket

Australia skipper Tim Paine scripted history when he became the first Aussie captain to retain the Ashes since 2001 after Steve Waugh. And now Paine in a bid take the Test further ahead has decided to skip the upcoming Big Bash League (BBL) and prepare for red-ball cricket.

England somehow managed to end the series in a draw 2-2 after beating Australia in the fifth and final Test at the Oval. Australia have played some outstanding cricket with Steve Smith making the difference between both the teams.

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The Baggy Greens after beating England at home kept the series draw to return home with the urn. Skipper Tim Paine is now keen to take the Test team further in the ICC World Test Championship. They are currently at the fourth spot in the points table after India, New Zealand, and Sri Lanka.

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In a bid to do so, the Tasmanian has decided to skip the upcoming edition of the BBL to prepare well for the red-ball cricket. Paine also added that he needs to take proper rest and be ready to lead the Test as it is a difficult job. He also added that he will return to BBL when he is done with international cricket.

“I’m keen to see just how far we can take this (Test) team and I’ve decided to give up the BBL so I can concentrate on red-ball cricket and being in the best place to lead them,” Paine wrote in The Australian.

“Being captain is draining and I think I should take every chance to recharge my batteries. I’ll go back to the BBL when I’m finished, but for now my focus is on my main job,” he added.

Furthermore, Tim Paine also spoke revealed that he had a broken finger during the end of the last Test. However, there is no displacement and it will not take him many days to return to training.

“My thumb was broken towards the end of that Test but it is not displaced, so I should be right to get back into training early,” he concluded.

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