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A meaningless one-day match could cost Brad Haddin his international career and he has no one to blame but himself.
New Zealand were 4/106 requiring another 76 from 15 overs when it appeared Michael Clarke had bowled Neil Broom.
On closer inspection it was Haddin’s gloves which has dislodged the bails. Not suspecting anything, Clarke and the rest of his team-mates celebrated.
A sportsman lives and dies by his reputation and Haddin could have just coated his in mud.
The umpires are most certainly fallible but the cameras aren’t. At the very least, Haddin should have expressed his doubt and let it be referred to the third umpire.
After what happened against India, it should be drummed into every Australian player’s head that they have to be squeakier than Mr Sheen. They need to be seen to be going over and above what is necessary.
The fallout simply isn’t worth it and in what has been a long summer for Ricky Ponting is going to be made even longer.
If having to deal with one Andrew Symonds issue after another or losing Test and One-Day series to South Africa isn’t enough, now he’ll have to deal with questions about the integrity of his side. People have selective memories; long after they forget this game they will remember what Haddin did.
There is nothing wrong with pushing the envelope of competition within the confines of the law. What Haddin did was more breaking than bending.
Haddin made a sacrifice – he felt Australia winning the game was a higher priority than his reputation.
Wonder what he feels about this trade-off now?
Better still, let’s ask Greg Dyer who made the exact same sacrifice some 20 years ago and paid for it by never again playing for Australia.
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