Rejuvenated Test stars return for Shield resumption

A refreshed cohort of Test cricketers will be injected back into the Marsh Sheffield Shield when the competition resumes Wednesday in Sydney and Hobart.

Tim Paine says he is eager don the whites again following a mentally challenging Test series defeat to India, with the Australian skipper back in action along with the likes of Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon.

With the Test tour of South Africa originally scheduled to overlap with the T20I series in New Zealand, it had been expected that states were going to have their depth sorely tested during the backend of the domestic season.

But the cancellation of the South Africa trip means the Sheffield Shield, which saw 10 games played in an Adelaide bubble before the KFC BBL break, will boast rare strength during February and March before a chunk of players leave for the Indian Premier League.

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NSW v Victoria | SCG, Feb 17-20, 10.30am local time start

NSW squad: Peter Nevill (c), Sean Abbott, Harry Conway, Trent Copeland, Josh Hazlewood, Moises Henriques, Daniel Hughes, Nick Larkin, Nathan Lyon, Kurtis Patterson, Steve Smith Daniel Solway, Mitchell Starc

Victoria squad: Peter Handscomb (c), Scott Boland, Seb Gotch, Marcus Harris, Jon Holland, Nic Maddinson, Wil Parker, James Pattinson, Mitch Perry, Will Pucovski, Matt Short, Will Sutherland

Tasmania v Queensland | Blundstone Arena

Feb 17 – 20, 10.30am local time start

Tasmania squad: Tim Paine (c), Gabe Bell, Jackson Bird, Jake Doran, Nathan Ellis, Jarrod Freeman, Caleb Jewell, Alex Pyecroft, Jordan Silk, Charlie Wakim, Beau Webster, Mac Wright

Queensland squad: Usman Khawaja (c), Xavier Bartlett, Joe Burns, Brendan Doggett, Matthew Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan McSweeney, Jimmy Peirson, Matthew Renshaw, Billy Stanlake, Mark Steketee, Bryce Street, Jack Wildermuth

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Removed from the strict bio-secure bubble Australia and India were in for the duration of the Test series, Paine wants to play the remainder of the domestic season.

"If anything I feel like I need to be playing more cricket, I feel like I play much better when I have the consistency of the week in week out games," the 36-year-old told RSN.

"For me to get back into Shield cricket and the (Marsh Cup) one-dayers for Tassie is exactly what I'm after.

"I feel great physically. Mentally it (the Test summer) was a bit of a drain but I've been home now for a few weeks and I'm ready and raring to go again."

It will be Paine's first top-flight games (a stint with his club side University of Tasmania aside) since the 1-2 series loss to India, for which he came under considerable scrutiny.

But while the wicketkeeper admitted mistakes were made, he said he paid little attention to the fallout.

"I've seen it happen to a number of captains before. If you don't win, the heat is going to come," said Paine.

"I was really lucky … I had my career taken away and then given back to me, so I see things a lot differently to most cricketers.

"I knew it (criticism) was going to come … I'm fine with that, I couldn't care less either way. All that worries me is what the staff think and what my teammates think, and the feedback from them is that I'm doing a good job still.

"Things didn't go our way. I could have done some things differently, unfortunately you don't have hindsight when you're out in the middle."

Smith faced bowlers for the first time in a month on Monday but showed no signs of rust in scoring a match-winning 127 in the opening Marsh One-Day Cup game of the season.

While Pat Cummins will sit out their ensuing Shield clash with rivals Victoria as the Blues manage their fast bowlers, Hazlewood, Starc and Lyon will all feature as the ladder-leaders look to defend their Shield crown.

The coming months could present those Test players their last red-ball cricket for some time, given Australia have no Test tours currently scheduled for the winter while they are now reliant on a favourable India-England series result to make this year's World Test Championship Final.

Smith, who has gotten on top of an elbow niggle, had bounced between bio-secure bubbles in England, the UAE and Australia between August and January and was grateful to spend much of the past month with wife Dani.

"I think I was in there (bubbles) for six months and didn't see Dani for 5-6 months – it wasn't easy but you've got to do what you've got to do," Smith told reporters.

"Being out of the bubble and being able to spend some time with her and being able to live almost a normal life, it's been good for a couple of weeks.

"I think I've gained a bit of energy; 'rejuvenation', I guess you'd call it … For me it's the same old thing, go out and score runs and keep it simple."