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Tasmania will give Tim Paine a break from Sheffield Shield cricket, with the Australia Test captain rested for the clash with Victoria on Thursday.
Test skipper Tim Paine has been given a break from Sheffield Shield cricket as part of a plan to keep the veteran fresh for the international summer.
The 34-year-old has played two Shield games for Tasmania since retaining the Ashes and earlier this month broke a 13-year drought to notch his second first-class century.
But he won't take the field for the Tigers when they host Victoria at Bellerive Oval from Thursday.
"It was always the plan that he would play two (games), miss game three and then come back for game four," Tasmania coach Jeff Vaughan said.
Vaughan said the decision to rest Paine was made six weeks ago and wasn't because of any niggling injuries.
"He's carrying a sense of humour," Vaughan joked.
"Physically he's going really well. There were discussions between Justin (Langer, Australia coach), Tim and us.
"It's just about managing his workloads for the season."
It means Paine will likely have just one more hit-out before the opening Test of the summer against Pakistan next month.
Victoria, meanwhile, are missing Aaron Finch and Glenn Maxwell to international T20 duties, while Test quick James Pattinson has been rested.
Batsmen Marcus Harris, Peter Handscomb and highly rated youngster Will Pucovski have a chance to push their claims for a top six Test berth, as will other aspirants over the next few days.
The Tigers, who like Victoria are chasing their first Shield win, have recalled George Bailey and Jackson Bird, who sat out last match for the birth of his first child.
Matthew Wade will captain Tasmania but won't take the gloves in another indication of his transition to a specialist bat.
A Queensland side including Usman Khawaja and Joe Burns plays Western Australia in a top-of-the-table one day clash on Thursday, before the two states meet in the Shield from Saturday.
South Australia host NSW in a Shield match beginning Friday.
Test quick Josh Hazlewood returns to a Blues side missing the injured Kurtis Patterson.
