Former Australian Test captain Penn retired from cricket

Sydney: Former Australia Test captain Tim Paine bowed out of cricket after playing an interstate match in Tasmania on Friday.

Penn led Australia between 2018 and 2021 when Steve Smith was stripped of the captaincy following the “Sandpaper Gate” ball-tampering incident against South Africa.

He captained the team in 23 Tests – winning 11, losing eight and drawing four – and was credited with helping to rebuild the reputation of Australian cricket.

Penn was forced to resign in 2017 after it was revealed he had sent lewd messages to a female colleague.

As the scandal took hold, he retired from cricket for the “foreseeable future”, returning to the game almost a year later in October 2022.

The wicketkeeper-batsman, 38, played his final first-class game for the state of Tasmania in a domestic match against Queensland on Friday, walking out by a guard of honor formed by the players.

“An inspirational captain, our best gloveman and a legend of Tasmanian and Australian cricket,” the Tasmanian Tigers said in a statement.

“Congratulations to Tim Penn on a truly remarkable career.”

Penn played 35 Tests for Australia with a top score of 92 and an average of 32.63. He also played 35 ODIs.

Australia regained the Ashes in England under Penn in 2019, a tumultuous period for the Test side.

Current Test captain Pat Cummins took over from Penn in November 2021, describing him as “a well-liked and respected figure in our team”.