To put it simply, for Tim Paine the renewed investment in resourcing and staffing was "critically important" for cricket in this state.

Cricket Tasmania's decision to take ownership of the Greater Northern Raiders, which will see it employ a full-time Greater North high performance pathway coach on top of a management committee is significant for Paine.

Vital even as if the state is again to become a powerhouse in Australian cricket circles it needs to find talent from areas that have produced the likes of David Boon, Ricky Ponting, George Bailey and Ben Hilfenhaus.

"I think it is critically important as if you look back at the history of Tasmanian cricket, a lot of, if not most of our best players have come from the North and that has slowly been in decline and I don't think that has been any secret,'' Paine said.

"But at the same time, while I don't know the ins and outs of it, it has been under resourced from what I have been told by people who know Northern cricket.

"So it was an important step when the Greater Northern Raiders came into the [CTPL] competition, but I think it is even more important now that they [Cricket Tas] have doubled down on that commitment and committed to what is important and that is funding, resources and high quality coaches.

"It [the North and North-West] used to be a real hotbed for Tasmanian cricket as it produced some of our best players, so if we can start doing to do that again we could have a really good first class team and squad and it would be nice in five years time to have it full of Tasmanians again.

"As Tasmanians we want to see as many Tasmanians given the opportunity to go through the pathway, which this will do."

Adding the strength of the program for Paine was the fact that Tim Coyle, who helped guide Paine to Sheffield Shield success, will again be the men's coach.

"He's passionate about his cricket, about Tasmania and Northern Tasmania and is a great resource for players and coaches in the North,'' he said.

"The more he has to do with it the better it will be."

Paine is keeping an eye on the old enemy as the countdown to the Ashes starts to intensify with Paine's squad looking to hold onto the urn.

England at present is in the middle of its international schedule, hosting Pakistan in an ODI series with a different looking squad after some COVID-enforced changes, with Paine confident about what the visitors will look like when they hit our shores.

"We know their best players, [Joe] Root, [Ben] Stokes, [Jofra] Archer, who are world class players and we will have to perform well against them, but I think over here I think if we can play our best cricket we will take care of them, but we are always keeping an eye on them,'' he said.

"Even watching different teams and what fields they are setting to Joe Root and what lengths they are bowling and how they are targeting Ben Stokes when he starts his innings and what batsmen are having success against Jofra Archer is important, you need to watch individual players and assess that and how other players are having success against them.

"Then for me as a captain is about what the opposition captains doing or opposition analysts are doing to stop Joe Root, what they are doing to stop Ben Stokes and whether that will work in Australia."

Keeping an eye the likes of Dom Sibley and Rory Burns was also important to Paine.

While there is excitement for Paine about November's Test against Afghanistan at Blundstone Arena, Paine's first focus is on ensuring Tasmania can get off to a good start this summer.

"I want to win Sheffield Shields for Tassie and I think the squad we have got together at the moment with myself, Wadey [Matthew Wade], Jackson Bird and Peter Siddle has a really nice blend of experience,'' he said.

"Then you have Jake Doran, Riley Meredith and Nathan Ellis, we do have some really talented players.

"It is crucial we start well, as traditionally we have have started slow at times, so as a senior player that is my focus and then I will move into Test mode."

While the loss off Jeff Vaughan as coach, who along with Tasmanian great Michael Di Venuto has joined the national coaching set-up, increasing already strong Tasmanian numbers there, is a blow, Paine said it was also a positive for Cricket Tasmania, with pathways for coaches just as important as for players.

An appearance for the Hobart Hurricanes this summer seems unlikely for Paine, with the schedule set to not allow that much opportunity post-Ashes.

"But I've have had discussions with [Cricket Tasmania chief executive] Dom Baker that I am really keen, regardless of when my Test career ends, to keep playing for Tassie and I want keep playing in the Big Bash,'' Paine said.

"I am looking forward to when that comes as it [T20] is always an enjoyable form of the game to play in, so I'd like to have a few years playing that."

Twenty20 could also impact the Afghanistan Test and see the likes Pat Cummins, Steve Smith, David Warner and Mitch Starc still in quarantine when it starts if Australia can go the distance in the T20 World Cup in UAE and Oman. That final is scheduled 13 days before the Test.

"That is just how things are now, but it would obviously potentially be a shame as Hobart and Tasmania don't get many Test matches and we want the best players to be on show,'' he said.

"But it might actually present an exciting opportunity to some other Tasmanians like Jackson Bird or Ben McDermott or Matthew Wade who might get the opportunity to play a Test in front of their home crowd."

The man who helped save Australian cricket's reputation won't enter this international summer with the mindset that this will be his last.

"I will get to the end of the summer and see how I'm feeling physically and see what my form is like, so there are so many unknowns,'' said the wicketkeeper, who has played 35 Tests, 23 as skipper.

"I have a great relationship with George [Bailey] who is obviously now a selector, and [national selector] Trevor Hohns as well and the coach [Justin Langer] and we are always having discussions of where it might sit and what it might look like and there are a few options on the table.We will keep having those conversations when we all think the time is right."

Paine was on the North-West Coast for the official opening of BodyFit Training's Devonport gym, the franchise which he, Bailey and former St Kilda captain Nick Riewoldt hold the rights for in Tasmania.

"We wanted to bring it to Tasmania as we think it is the best product, but it was important for us that we spread it across the state,'' he said.

"We will make sure we come up here for the odd class and make sure we are visible for members."

A Burnie BFT Training gym is set to open next month.