Former Australia skipper named as head coach for Australia A

Former Australia Test captain Tim Paine has been named head coach of Australia "A" side for the coming season, marking a new chapter in his post-playing career. With a number of senior Australian Test players nearing retirement, Cricket Australia is starting to invest significant resources into developing the next batch of talent—making Paine's new appointment an important one in the national setup.

Since his retirement from the game of professional cricket in 2023, Paine has been close to the game through media commentary and work and the odd bit of coaching with the Australia women's team and the Australia "A" program. But with this full-time role now secured, Paine confirmed he would leave his radio show to be able to do it all full-time.

"It's time to spread my wings," Paine told listeners on SEN radio on Friday. "I've been working with Australia 'A' as an assistant coach, and the opportunity has come up for me to be the head coach. I feel like it's a hard balancing act to pursue a coaching career and talk in the media. The Australia 'A' program is very exciting; there's a lot of young talent to work with. It's something I really enjoy doing. I'm very lucky, and I'm really looking forward to the next part of my journey."

Australia eyes generational shift with Paine at the helm

Australia could see a significant turnover in its Test squad following this year's Ashes, with experienced players like Steve Smith, Usman Khawaja, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, and Nathan Lyon all in the twilight of their careers. In this context, the Australia "A" side will serve as a critical pipeline for future national players, and Paine’s leadership will be key in preparing them for the highest level.

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Cricket Australia also confirmed that Paine will continue contributing to the women’s national team and maintain his role with the Adelaide Strikers in the Big Bash League. The Australia A squad for the upcoming fixtures includes Joel Curtis, Harry Dixon, Zanden Jeh, Campbell Kellaway, Angus Lovell, Rafael MacMillan, Ollie Peake, Lloyd Pope, Niv Radhakrishnan, Jason Sangha, Liam Scott, and Lachlan Shaw.