Former Australian cricket captain Tim Paine will holiday interstate with his family rather than watch the final Ashes test in Tasmania, fearing being so close to the action without being allowed to compete would be damaging for his health.
The historic occasion will see Blundstone Arena in Hobart host a contest between Australia and England for the first time - but Paine won't be at the ground.
The 37-year-old, who is a fiercely proud Tasmanian resident, previously spoke about his excitement about leading Australia in a test from the Apple Isle - only to see the match versus Afghanistan postponed last November after the Taliban's takeover.
The fifth Ashes test loomed as Paine's professional swansong in the baggy green - but the wicketkeeper instead sensationally stood down from the sport to focus on his mental health in November last year after it was revealed he sent a former Cricket Tasmania employee a series of lewd messages in 2017.
To aid his well-being, Paine felt it was a better choice not to be in Tasmania for the day-night test, which was moved from Perth a few weeks ago due to Western Australia's strict border protocols.
Former Australian cricket captain Tim Paine will holiday interstate with his family rather than watch the final Ashes test in Tasmania - which starts on Friday, fearing it would damage his mental health (pictured with his wife Bonnie)
Paine, 37, (pictured at the Ashes in 2019) stood down as Australian captain last November after a sexting scandal from 2017 was made public
'He's going OK is how I'd describe Tim,' Australian Cricketers Association boss Todd Greenberg said on SEN radio recently.
'He's terribly disappointed he's not playing cricket and I'm disappointed he is not playing cricket too, but we are keeping in close contact and we'll help him through it.
'We made it very clear to Cricket Australia we thought there was a different way that could have been handled, but we're not always going to agree. The players felt it could have been handled differently, and they felt like the governing body didn't have their back at that particular time.
'We're creating trust between the players and the governing body, and that's a big part of that. We took some steps backwards in that scenario, that's just being brutally honest.'
Cricket Tasmania chairman Andrew Gaggin said Paine will be missed in Hobart.
'It's a bit bittersweet with Tim,' Gaggin said on Tuesday. 'It's a shame that he can't be here.'
Paine became the new face and leader of Australian cricket following the infamous ball-tampering saga of 2018 in South Africa as coach Justin Langer attempted to revive the team's flagging world reputation.
His leadership skills were impressive, only to step aside after the lewd messages and explicit photos became public news on November 19 last year.
Earlier this month, Paine and his wife Bonnie appeared to be moving on from his sexting scandal, having spent the past six weeks on holiday in Hobart.
Bonnie shared a gallery of photos to Instagram of the couple with friends and family at their waterfront pad in Opossum Bay, a 40-minute drive from their family home.
The mother of two said in the caption she was 'so blessed', writing: 'A glimpse into the past six weeks with our beautiful friends and family.'
She added: 'There's something special about disconnecting from the world and being present in the moment. I'm so blessed.'
While most of the photos showed Bonnie with her pals, one group photo included her husband smiling while holding their son Charlie, two.
It was the first time Bonnie has shared a photo of her Tim on her main Instagram grid since mid-November.
Other photos showed Charlie carrying a cricket bat while staring out to sea, and of the little boy fast asleep on the sofa wearing batting pads.
One image saw Bonnie riding a horse, while another showed the couple's daughter Milla, four, drawing a picture.
