Paine`s cricket career in jeopardy after finger injury

Melbourne: Wicketkeeper Tim Paine`s career was thrown into jeopardy after South Australia`s state coach Darren Berry revealed that the Aussie may never play first-class cricket again due to his latest finger injury.

Berry said that he was "staggered at how bad the injury looked" when he met the national team back-up keeper during a Sheffield Shield game in Hobart. "I could tell by watching him trying to make a fist he was a mile away from competitive cricket," Berry said. Paine, who has played four Tests for Australia, broke the finger during a pre-season training session with Tasmania. Originally expected to miss action for three months, he was ruled out for the whole season last week. The 27-year-old was pressing incumbent Brad Haddin hard for a regular berth in both the Test and ODI team until the setback. Berry wrote in `Fairfax`s Sun-Herald` newspaper that Haddin can ill-afford to take it easy with the likes of Matthew Wade, Chris Hartley and Peter Nevill breathing down his neck. PTI