The wicketkeeper had been cleared of wrongdoing in the 2017 inquiry and was seen as a safe choice when he was appointed to replace Steve Smith in the aftermath of the ball-tampering scandal involving his predecessor in South Africa in 2018.
But Paine stood down after Melbourne’s Herald Sun newspaper published alleged text message exchanges between him and an ex-Cricket Tasmania employee, claiming the co-worker had complained that he had sent an unsolicited picture of his genitals.
Cricket authorities have rallied around Paine, revealing that the woman complained to them only after she was charged with theft in the wake of resigning from her job.

Paine’s “interaction” with the woman was “consensual, private, occurred on the one occasion only … and was not repeated,” Cricket Tasmania said.
“Paine’s embarrassment is, obviously, acute; so will be that of his family, on Friday unseen, but, no doubt, privately suffering,” wrote The Australian’s senior cricket writer Gideon Haigh.
“Yet CA’s board has effectively chosen to add to their mortification, because to do otherwise is to endanger its corporate reputation — the reputation Paine helped hugely to rebuild.”

Meanwhile, former Australia international Greg Chappell has backed vice-captain Pat Cummins to be take over as Paine’s replacement.
“The fortunate thing is that in Pat Cummins, they have an excellent candidate, ready to go,” Chappell wrote in the Sydney Morning Herald.
“Like Paine before him, Cummins will be required to not merely lead the team but again rebuild faith in the role and Australian cricket.”