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Wade at ease back in Aussie colours

Roar Guru
27th January, 2014
25

Matt Wade can see the funny side of his bizarre stumping of Englishman Ravi Bopara, and the Australian `keeper is taking a lighter approach to his stop-start international career as well.

Wade produced a candidate for a weirdest dismissals reel with a fumble that removed the bails as Bopara’s foot was in the air during Australia’s five-run one-day win in Adelaide.

“It tends to happen sometimes, a batter lifts their foot like that but you never really get the timing right,” the former Test gloveman told reporters as Australia’s Twenty20 squad arrived in Hobart.

“Luckily enough I didn’t actually take it and the timing was just perfect.

“That’s what happens when you’re winning I suppose.”

“We’ve rode luck throughout the whole summer, it’s been with us and when you get that momentum you’ve got to run with it.”

Wade is hopeful he’s building some momentum of his own after he was discarded as Australia’s first-choice wicketkeeper for returning veteran Brad Haddin.

The 26-year-old Tasmanian product played the last of his 12 Tests on the ill-fated tour of India last March.

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He returned to the one-day set-up for a resting Haddin after Australia had secured the home series against England, making 23 and 31.

Wade will also add to his 19 T20 internationals as part of Australia’s squad for three matches against England.

The Victorian captain and top-placed Melbourne Stars’ player averages 20.33 at a strike-rate of 113.66 in the short format internationally.

Back in the green and gold, he says his outlook has changed.

“I’m just looking to improve every time, enjoying it probably a little bit more than what I did when I was in the team full-time,” he said.

“You never know when it’s going to be your last time playing for Australia so I’m just trying to take it all in.”

Wade will be one of many in Australia’s new-look squad eyeing the ICC World Twenty20 in Bangladesh beginning in March.

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“I’m obviously new around the group for this summer as well,” he said.

“It’s a new squad so everyone’s pretty keen to get amongst training and into the game.

“The Test guys are off now and a lot of the one-day players aren’t playing so the new group’s really keen to do well.”

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