Brad Haddin could be the next great keeper batsman

 
Spiro Zavos Columnist

By , 18 Dec 2009 Spiro Zavos is a Roar Expert

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Brad Haddin. app images

Brad Haddin. app images

Like all the other heavy scorers in Australia’s first inning (Shane Watson, Simon Katich, Michael Hussey and Marcus North), Brad Haddin failed to reach century in the mammoth first innings total at Perth.

In the end, his innings that started off with a series of bangs, with 9 fours in his 50, ended with a whimper with a tame back defensive shot to Kunnar Roach, which yielded a thin edge for the keeper to catch.

But it was the best batting in the Australian innings.

Watson was dropped early and was scratchy from to time; Katich jabbed and poked around accumulating runs rather than amassing them; Hussey was more authorative with some vigorous legside pulls. However, he was dismissed very easily in the first over he faced on the second day.

And North was solid without being interesting or explosive.

Haddin immediately set about the bowling when he came into bat. There were gorgeous offside drives and vigorous slog-sweeps (in the Stephen Waugh manner). He took the attack to the bowling and looked the part of a genuine batting keeper.

Early on in Australia’s cricket history, keepers were selected for their excellence behind the stumps. The best of these keepers – Carter, Oldfield, Tallon, and Grout – were handy enough batsmen, without being dominating at the crease.

Rod Marsh was the first batsman/keeper, an all-rounder capable of winning a match, especially ODIs, with his batting more than his keeping.

Ian Healy was more a keeper/batsman in the old school tradition. I always believed, though, his keeping was over-rated. He didn’t seem to miss many catches, especially on the legside, simply because he rarely attempted to snaffle them.

Adam Gilchrist was a pre-eminent batsman/keeper.

His keeping was often sloppy, mainly because as a tall player, he sometimes had difficulty getting his feet in the right place to take sharp catches. But his batting, with an average of over 50, was often match-winning.

He scored very quickly and ferociously, so that bowling attacks were often terrorised by his onslaughts.

Haddin, his successor, after an initially tentative start to his Test career, both as a batsman and as keeper, is reviving memories of the Gilchrist glory days. His keeping now – but not earlier – is superior to that of Gilchrist.

Early on I remember writing pieces for The Roar suggesting that he was not up to Test standard as a keeper or as batsman.

Wrong and wrong.

Haddin’s batting is becoming Gilchrist-like, although it is doubtful whether Australia or any other team will provide the cricket world with another Gilchrist. His keeping is already better than Healy’s, in my opinion.

In his 88 on Thursday, Haddin whacked 11 fours and two sixers. Fast runs like this tend to set up wins in Tests. His Test batting average is now just under 44, a splendid figure that he is likely to push up over the next few years.

He is now 32, having to wait an inordinately long time for Gilchrist’s career to play itself out.

He has played 22 Tests.

Wicket-keepers tend to play on longer than bowlers and leading batsmen, so Haddin, form and fingers hopefully staying intact, can look forward to at least two more Ashes series, perhaps even more.

That is for the future. Right now we can say with some confidence, come on down Brad Haddin as a great batsman keeper.

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