Who is Tim Paine? Biography, net worth, age, wife, children, career, controversy, coaching

Timothy David Paine is a former Australian cricketer and Test captain who led the Australian national cricket team through one of its most challenging periods. The Tasmanian wicketkeeper-batsman became the 46th captain of Australia in March 2018 after the ball-tampering scandal. He resigned from the captaincy in November 2021 following a sexting scandal. Paine retired from all forms of cricket in March 2023 and now works as a coach.

Tim Paine Wikipedia

Field	Details
Full name	Timothy David Paine
Gender	Male
Date of birth	8 December 1984
Age	40 years old (as of November 2025)
Place of birth	Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
Current residence	Noosa, Queensland, Australia
Nationality	Australian
Ethnicity	White
Zodiac sign	Sagittarius
Religion	Christian
Sexual orientation	Straight
Height	5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
Weight	Approximately 165 lbs (75 kg)
Hair colour	Brown
Eye colour	Blue
Marital status	Married
Spouse	Bonnie Paine (née Maggs)
Children	Two (Milla and Charlie)
Alma mater	Bayview Secondary College, Rosny College
Profession	Former cricketer, cricket coach
Net worth	$6 million (estimated)

Who is Tim Paine?

Tim Paine is a retired Australian cricketer who served as captain of the Australian Test team from 2018 to 2021.

He was called upon to lead the team during a crisis period following the ball-tampering scandal in South Africa.

The right-handed wicketkeeper-batsman played 35 Test matches, 35 One-Day Internationals, and 12 Twenty20 Internationals for Australia.

He won the 2009 ICC Champions Trophy with Australia and led the team to retain the Ashes in 2019.

Paine now works as a cricket coach, currently serving as head coach of Adelaide Strikers and Australia A team.

How old is Tim Paine? Age and birthday

Tim Paine is 40 years old as of November 2025. He was born on 8 December 1984 in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. His zodiac sign is Sagittarius.

What is Tim Paine’s early life and education?

Tim Paine grew up in the suburb of Lauderdale in Hobart, Tasmania. He showed exceptional talent for cricket from a young age, with his father John installing a cricket pitch in their backyard.

Paine attended Lauderdale Primary School before enrolling at Bayview Secondary College and Rosny College for his secondary education.

He captained Tasmania at Under-15 and Under-17 levels and was part of the Under-19 team at just 15 years old. At age 16, Paine received a record-breaking rookie contract with Tasmania.

He also attended the Australian Cricket Academy, which helped develop his skills as a wicketkeeper-batsman.

What is Tim Paine’s career?

Domestic cricket career

Tim Paine made his first-class debut for Tasmania in November 2005 as an opening batsman. He scored a double century of 215 runs in just his fifth first-class match, announcing his arrival as a talented batsman.

Paine also made his one-day debut for Tasmania in the 2005-06 season, scoring his first century later that season.

He captained the Tasmanian Tigers in multiple Sheffield Shield matches and led the Hobart Hurricanes in the Big Bash League.

Paine won two Sheffield Shield titles with Tasmania, including the state’s first-ever triumph in 2007.

International cricket breakthrough

Paine made his international debut for Australia in 2010. His early international career showed promise, and he was part of the Australian squad that won the 2009 ICC Champions Trophy in South Africa.

During that tournament, he scored a half-century of 56 runs against India. He also scored his first ODI century of 111 runs against England in 2009.

Injury struggles and comeback

Paine’s career was interrupted by serious injuries. He suffered a broken finger in 2010 which required surgery and kept him out of cricket for an extended period.

His international career stalled, and he spent several years playing only domestic cricket. Many thought his international career was over when he was dropped from national selection.

The turning point came in 2017 when Paine made a comeback to the Australian team for the Ashes series.

His return was one of the most remarkable comebacks in Australian cricket history, coming after seven years away from Test cricket.

Australian Test captain

In March 2018, Australian cricket faced its biggest crisis when captain Steve Smith, vice-captain David Warner, and coach Darren Lehmann were removed following the ball-tampering scandal in South Africa.

Cricket Australia needed a leader with integrity and character. Tim Paine was appointed as the 46th captain of Australia’s Test team.

Paine led the team through a rebuilding phase. Under his captaincy, Australia played 23 Test matches, winning 11, losing 8, and drawing 4 matches.

His win percentage of 47.82% reflected the challenging period during which he led the team. The highlight of his captaincy was retaining the Ashes in England in 2019, making Australia the first team to retain the Ashes in England in 21 years.

Paine was known for his calm demeanor, positive attitude, and his ability to restore the reputation of Australian cricket after the scandal. He captained five One-Day Internationals but failed to secure a win in that format.

Controversy and resignation

In November 2021, just weeks before the Ashes series, Paine resigned as Australian Test captain. He stepped down after it emerged that he had sent explicit text messages to a female Cricket Tasmania employee in 2017.

The incident occurred before he was appointed captain. Cricket Australia had investigated the matter in 2018 and cleared him of any breach of the code of conduct. The woman involved was later charged with theft from Cricket Tasmania.

The scandal became public in November 2021, and Paine made a tearful announcement of his resignation. He said he was “deeply sorry” for his actions and the distress caused.

His wife Bonnie supported him throughout the scandal, and the couple described the period as challenging for their family.

Final playing days and retirement

After resigning as captain, Paine underwent neck surgery in September 2021 to repair a pinched nerve.

Surgeons replaced the C6 and C7 discs in his neck in what Paine described as a complex operation. He attempted to return for Tasmania in late 2021 but struggled with form and fitness.

Paine never played for Australia again after his resignation. He continued playing domestic cricket for Tasmania until March 2023, when he announced his retirement from all forms of cricket.

His final match was a Sheffield Shield game between Tasmania and Queensland that ended in a draw. Paine finished his Test career with 1,534 runs at an average of 33 and took 150 catches and 11 stumpings as a wicketkeeper.

Coaching career

After retirement, Paine transitioned into coaching. In August 2023, he was appointed as an assistant coach for Adelaide Strikers in the Big Bash League. He worked with the Australian women’s team in various consulting roles.

In June 2025, Paine was appointed head coach of Adelaide Strikers for the BBL14 season, replacing Jason Gillespie who had stepped down.

At the same time, Cricket Australia named him head coach of Australia A men’s team for multiple series in 2025. He led Australia A in series against Sri Lanka A and other opponents.

Paine also stepped away from his radio role at SEN Tassie Breakfast to focus full-time on his coaching commitments. His coaching philosophy focuses on developing young talent and preparing them for international cricket.

Is Tim Paine married? Wife, children, and family

Tim Paine is married to Bonnie Paine, whose maiden name is Bonnie Maggs. The couple got married on 2 April 2016 in a private ceremony.

Bonnie is a nurse and musician by profession. She stood by her husband during the 2021 sexting scandal, describing the situation as frustrating for their family.

Bonnie said the family had already dealt with and moved past the issue before it became public.

Children

Tim and Bonnie Paine have two children. Their daughter Milla was born in mid-2017, and their son Charlie was born in 2019. As of August 2024, Milla is 7 years old and Charlie is 5 years old.

The family relocated from Hobart, Tasmania to Noosa, Queensland in 2024 to start a new chapter and focus on family life. Paine has described his children as his priority and says they helped him through difficult periods in his career.

Family background

Paine comes from a close-knit family in Tasmania. His father John Paine was supportive of his cricket career and built a backyard cricket pitch where young Tim developed his skills.

Paine has a brother named Nick Paine, who has spoken publicly about Tim’s competitive nature that developed during childhood matches in Hobart.

Tim Paine’s height and weight

Tim Paine stands 5 feet 11 inches tall (180 cm) and weighs approximately 165 pounds (75 kg). His physical fitness as a wicketkeeper-batsman required agility, quick reflexes, and stamina for long periods behind the stumps.

What is Tim Paine’s net worth and salary?

As of 2025, Tim Paine’s net worth is estimated at $6 million. During his playing career, he earned an annual salary of approximately $1.2 million from Cricket Australia when he held a national contract. This figure included his base contract, match fees, and bonuses.

Paine’s income came from multiple sources during his playing days. He earned money from Cricket Australia contracts, domestic cricket contracts with Tasmania and Hobart Hurricanes, and endorsement deals with brands like Kookaburra.

After retirement, his income comes from coaching salaries with Adelaide Strikers and Cricket Australia, media work, and guest appearances.

Fast facts about Tim Paine

Tim Paine was nicknamed “Kid” and is also known by the nickname “Paine.”
He scored a double century of 215 runs in just his fifth first-class match for Tasmania.
Paine was part of the Australian team that won the 2009 ICC Champions Trophy.
He became Australian Test captain at age 33, making him one of the oldest players to receive the captaincy for the first time.
Paine’s comeback to Test cricket in 2017 came after a seven-year gap, one of the longest gaps in Australian cricket history.
He was the first Tasmanian to captain Australia in Test cricket.
Paine kept wickets for Australia in 35 Test matches and took 150 catches and 11 stumpings.
His highest Test score was 92 runs, made against Pakistan in 2019.
Paine famously sledged Indian wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant by offering to babysit him during a Test match, and his wife later posted a photo with Pant and their children.
In September 2025, Paine was inducted into Cricket Tasmania’s Field of Fame for his contributions to Tasmanian cricket.

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Wrapping up

Tim Paine remains one of the most fascinating figures in recent Australian cricket history. His journey from a promising young player to injury struggles, a remarkable comeback, emergency appointment as captain during a national crisis, and eventual resignation makes for a compelling story.

While the sexting scandal ended his playing career prematurely, Paine has rebuilt his life and reputation through coaching.

He now lives with his family in Queensland and focuses on developing the next generation of Australian cricketers through his coaching roles with Adelaide Strikers and Australia A.