SYDNEY • Tim Paine will miss the Ashes series against England while on a "leave of absence" from all cricket, state body Cricket Tasmania (CT) said yesterday, a week after the wicket-keeper stepped down from the Australian captaincy over a "sexting" scandal.

The former skipper, who will turn 37 next month, was due to play for Tasmania in a domestic one-day match in Hobart yesterday but will now be unavailable for "the foreseeable future", the state association said in a brief statement.

"Cricket Tasmania will continue to support Tim and his family both professionally and personally over the summer."

Speculation over Paine's place in the Test team has been rife since his resignation over revelations that he was investigated for sending sexually explicit text messages to a female former Cricket Tasmania staff member four years ago.

He was cleared after a 2018 investigation by CT and Cricket Australia (CA) but said last Friday he did not want to be a distraction ahead of the preparations for the five-Test home Ashes, which run from Dec 8 to Jan 18.

Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting said earlier this week that Paine's selection against England would affect the team but his teammates, including spinner Nathan Lyon, expressed their hope that he would still be involved.

Paine, who was the only specialist wicket-keeper named in Australia's 15-man Ashes squad, is likely to be replaced by experienced white ball wicket-keeper Alex Carey or Josh Inglis, both of whom were named in the recent Australia 'A' squad.

Relinquishing his place could spell the end of his international career after 35 Tests.

Paine's resignation from the captaincy has triggered acrimony between the state and national cricket bodies, with CT accusing CA of hanging him out to dry.

But CA chairman Richard Freudenstein said last week his current board would not have endorsed him as captain if presented with the same circumstances as the previous board in 2018.

The case was re-examined after News Corp printed parts of the graphic text message exchange.

Paine, who was married at the time and is still together with his wife Bonnie, has apologised to his family.

Australia, who retained the Ashes trophy after the 2019 series was drawn, yesterday named paceman Pat Cummins as their Test captain and Steve Smith as his deputy in response to the scandal.

Cummins is the team's 47th captain and is the first fast bowler to lead Australia since 1956, while Smith returns to a key leadership role after having been forced to stand down as skipper for his part in the 2018 "Sandpaper-gate" ball-tampering scandal.

The 28-year-old Cummins said he would do his best to avoid any scrutiny of his off-field life, adding: "When it comes to moral character, I am my own harshest judge.

"I am not perfect and there will be things that pop up, but as long as I can sleep at night, I am really comfortable with the rest of that."

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS