By: Tarish Bhatt
Brad Haddin needs no introduction and his batting and more so wicketkeeping is just a treat to watch. The Aussie took over keeping duties from Adam Gilchrist seamlessly, and it never looked like Australia struggled to find Gilly’s replacement.
This time as well, Australia seem to have seamlessly went into an another phase, with Peter Nevill, who filled in for Haddin in the 2nd Ashes Test, and is going to keep the gloves on in the 3rd Ashes Test as well.
It is too early to say whether Nevill is an effective replacement for Haddin, atleast behind the wickets, but Australian selectors think he is. Australia skipper Michael Clarke has revealed what the selectors have in mind.
“Rod (Marsh) and Boof (Lehmann) came and spoke to me and told me what they were thinking,” Clarke said. “It’s obviously a lot harder for me because I have that attachment to Hadds.”
“I’ve grown up playing cricket with him, we’ve spent a lot of time together and I love the fact that he’s still here working hard,” he added.
So that means career of Brad Haddin is over? People who have closely followed Haddin know he won’t back down. Haddin has fought his way to the top, whenever he is was left out or voluntarily stepped away.
Haddin proved it after taking a long-break from cricket a couple of years back and then fought back into the playing XI to inspire Australia to last Ashes series win. It wouldn’t be a surprise if Haddin manages to do it again.
In the 2nd Ashes Test, Brad Haddin voluntarily sat out of the playing XI and also didn’t take keeping duties in the practice game against Derbyshire. And, even skipper Clarke knows Haddin is capable of making a comeback.
“If an opportunity comes, he’ll grab that with both hands,” Clarke said. “On the other hand, Nev made the most of his opportunity in the second Test, I thought he batted really well and I thought he kept exceptionally well.”
“So it’s a tough one when you sit in the middle, but that’s the way the selectors have gone and I respect their decision,” he added.
Nevill is young, he needs the support and exposure, which he is getting, but it would be interesting to see if he would manage to keep someone like Haddin out of the Australia team.
