By CricketCountry Staff
Wicketkpeer Tim Paine’s career was thrown into jeopardy after South Australia's state coach Darren Berry revealed that the Australian may never play first-class cricket again due to his latest finger, but the 27-year-old denied the claims.
Published: Jan 27, 2012, 11:20 PM (IST)
Edited: Jan 27, 2012, 11:20 PM (IST)
Tim Paine said everyone knows how his fingers are getting better and is very happy with it the progress © Getty Images
By CricketCountry Staff
Melbourne: Jan 27, 2012
Wicketkpeer Tim Paine’s career was thrown into jeopardy after South Australia’s state coach Darren Berry revealed that the Australian may never play first-class cricket again due to his latest finger, but the 27-year-old denied the claims.
”It’s just plainly untrue,” Paine was quoted saying by ‘Sydney Morning Herald’.
”Everyone who knows what’s going on with my finger is very happy with it. It’s probably going a little better than expected.”
Paine had surgery last month to repair damage done when plates inserted in his hand during a previous operation broke when he tried to resume training.
”Even in the last week the movement in the finger has been much better than it has been at this stage after surgery before and the size of my finger is probably as normal as it’s been for 15 months,” he said.
”I think that is where a lot of people’s opinions have come from, they’ve probably seen it in the last six months where it probably didn’t even look like a finger at times.”
He stated that there was no reason why he should return as a specialist batsman, given keeping had not troubled his finger in the past.
”The main thing is I am going to play again. What we’ve done in the past is let the injury dictate when we think it should be right and I have trained and prepared to be right by then, whereas this time, with my history of coming back too early, we’re going the other way, making sure the finger is completely healed and ready to go before I even attempt to play cricket.
”I’m more than confident I will be able to come back and play the role I played before.”
