Cricket Australia has been accused of 'freeloading' with the $1b Tassie stadium. Tim Paine has hit back at those claims

Debate has long surrounded Cricket Australia's level of involvement with the new $1b Macquarie Point stadium in Hobart, which will house an expansion AFL side in the next decade.

Complaints surfaced earlier in the year that the proposed design for the stadium's roof would cast awkward shadows on the pitch and make it extremely difficult to play cricket there.

Talk of Cricket Australia and the Tasmanian government coming together to discuss the stadium's design has been reported in recent times, but Nine AFL reporter Sam McClure has slammed them as "the greatest freeloading sport". That's a characterisation former Australian cricket captain Tim Paine has taken issue with.

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The AFL is set to tip in $15m for the stadium and $360m into growing the sport in Tasmania. Cricket Australia, meanwhile, is currently not contributing a cent to the build.

And McClure cannot believe they are attempting to have a say in the design for free.

"Let me be really clear about this. Cricket Australia have nothing to do with (the stadium or its design). Nothing. They're not giving a cent," McClure told the Tradies podcast.

"Cricket is the greatest freeloading sport known to mankind.

"'We're not going to pay anything, we're not going to build anything, but we'd like to play there'. You've got nothing to do with it, stay out of it.

"The AFL has concocted the entire deal. Cricket Australia, if you want to play one of your little Test matches, which haven't been a raging success down at Bellerive Oval, great. We'll decide where the stadium is. We'll decide the design. We'll decide the roof.

"The whole thing of the government is now talking to the ICC, that's just untrue. Factually erroneous. It hasn't happened.

"The AFL and the government will decide what happens with the stadium and ultimately the government will design the stadium. Cricket Australia has nothing to do with it."

Paine, a proud Tasmanian who played 35 Tests for his country, has hit back at McClure, saying Cricket Australia does not need the Macquarie Point stadium, but has provided the guidelines required for a venue to host international cricket.

He believes it would be a huge mistake for the Tasmanian government if they built the stadium without consulting the likely summer host of the facilities.

"I love (McClure's) passion, but he is wrong. (The Tasmanian government) do care (what Cricket Australia thinks). I don't think Cricket Australia are going out and demanding these things," Paine told SEN.

"There's been discussions between the Tasmanian government and Cricket Tasmania and Cricket Australia because part of the government funding this stadium - not the AFL - the government funding this stadium is they need content in it.

"Now, Cricket Australia does not need a stadium at Macquarie Point. Cricket will go on without it. The footy, however, will not go on without it."

The provisional licence handed to the Tassie Devils AFL side will be scrapped if the stadium, which remains in doubt, is not built.

Paine says the government needs to involve Cricket Australia, whether they're spending money or not.

"Cricket Australia has said 'yeah, that's great, we'll play a Test match there if the stadium is built there, no problems at all, however there are regulations that need to be met'," he said.

"They haven't come in and said 'you have to do this'. They've said, 'if you want any international cricket to be played there, it needs to fit these standards, if not, you won't get any international cricket at that venue, which is a problem for our government, not for the AFL.

"The government needs cricket playing at the stadium. It's part of the whole thing.

"I think Cricket Australia has gone to them with a letter and said here's what needs to happen for your ground to be able to play international cricket, if you want it. If you don't want it, we'll play somewhere else.

"If you're going to spend $1b on a stadium, you might want to check what the regulations are to get international cricket at the venue, otherwise you've just built a $1b stadium that isn't up to scratch and won't be used for six months of the year, which would be a huge blunder."

Paine, who has served as coach of the Adelaide Strikers in the Big Bash League, is now set to take on a role as coach of Australia A.