BRAD Haddin's cricket career isn't over, but the man who wants his job will be breathing down his neck if the selectors get their wish and take two wicketkeepers to the West Indies.
The incumbent Test and one-day keeper has been rested from the first three one-day internationals and replaced by Victoria's Matthew Wade.
Haddin will, however, captain the Prime Minister's XI in Canberra later in the week.
Wade, 24, with a Sheffield Shield average of 60, has pushed past the injured Tim Paine as keeper in waiting.
The 34-year-old Haddin struggled this summer and admitted before the last Test against India in Adelaide that he was exhausted.
Coach and selector Mickey Arthur said he still had faith in the keeper, who is also vice-captain in the absence of the injured Shane Watson.
"I have had a good chat to Brad. Brad knows exactly where he stands, if Brad wants to play on, he feels he has a lot to contribute and so do I, but like any other player, players need to give us ammunition to keep picking them," he said.
Arthur said the selectors were trying to increase the number of experienced players.
"One of my briefs, and the selection panel's briefs, is to get a pool of players. We need to increase the depth, especially in the batting department, we think," he said.
"In the next two years or three years ... Hussey and Ponting aren't going to be around for a huge amount of time. We need to have contingency plans in place.
"We need to see some players under pressure. There's no doubt about that, same in the wicketkeeping department, we need to develop two keepers.
"It is probably our intention to take two wicketkeepers to the West Indies, so we need to see who the next best is, hence Matty Wade, who has been fantastic in domestic cricket, gets an opportunity."
The selectors will reconsider Haddin's place in the one-day squad after the first three matches, but Arthur said there were no guarantees.
Chairman of selectors John Inverarity seemed positive about Haddin's place in the side.
"Brad Haddin has come off a heavy program of Test cricket - the workload for a wicketkeeper-batsman is rigorous, and resting him for the start of the series will refresh him for coming international commitments while also giving us a chance to look at Matt Wade at this level," he said.
Meanwhile, Arthur said, there was a lot to like about Wade.
"He's a terrier, a fighter," he said. "Unbelievable in two disciplines. We want cricketers who bring two disciplines to the party.
"We want players who fight, they're strong of character and Matthew has got all of that."
Wade revealed that Haddin had sent him a message yesterday offering to help him with the transition.
The replacement keeper said that was evidence they could work together in the squad.
"I got a text from Hadds this morning so me and him can work closely on a few things and two keepers can work in the future, that'd be great for me and Brad obviously," he said.
"It was a really nice text, he offered to help out if I needed it - first time in the big lights he was happy to help which was nice."
Haddin and Adam Gilchrist toured as batsmen for Australian one-day sides in the past, and Wade is strong with the bat.
"My batting is good enough at this level and my keeping is good enough at this level," he said.
"I'm not looking at it as a trial. I'm just looking at it as an opportunity to go out there and do my best. If I look at it as a trial for Test cricket I'll be a bit uptight and tense. I'm just going out there to play a role for the Australian cricket team."
Source:http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/sport/australias-cricket-selectors-want-two-keepers-for-windies-tour/story-e6frg7mf-1226257710649
No comments:
Post a Comment