The more astute among Australian cricket fans would have been following the progress of Victorian wicketkeeper-batsman Matthew Wade since he debuted in the Sheffield Shield season of 2007/8 as 19 year old.
Early in his career, Wade left Tasmania for Melbourne after seeing he was stuck behind Tasmania wicketkeeper and fellow Test aspirant Tim Paine. On his Shield debut he compiled a well composed 83 and picked up six catches as ‘keeper.
Wade, who turned 24 on Boxing Day, hasn’t looked back since that day. In his 50 first-class matches to date, he has accumulated 2440 runs at an average of 40.16, which includes four centuries. As a keeper he has taken 188 dismissals, including 183 catches.
Wicketkeeping is the area of his game that Wade has improved during his time with Victoria. He needed to, due to the fact that his main rival Paine is a very accomplished gloveman.
His batting has been good all along. Wade has played some crucial innings for Victoria, notably in the Sheffield Shield final in 2009/10.
In their first innings against Queensland, Victoria were in terrible trouble at 6/75, but ended up getting to 305 thanks to a gritty knock of 96 from Wade. It was so influential that Victoria would go on to win the final by 457 runs.
Early this season, Wade represented Australia in the T20 against South Africa. Since he came back to play for Victoria he has scored 316 runs at an average of 63.20, to continue putting pressure on incumbent Brad Haddin.
Haddin hasn’t had his best 12 months of Test cricket. He’s probably had his worst. In his last 10 Tests, Haddin has scored 335 runs at an average of 20.93, well below his career average of 35.54, and the early stages of his career when it was around the 40 mark.
In recent times Haddin has also struggled with the gloves, dropping key chances in the last Test match at the SCG.
So with Haddin struggling, and in the twilight of his career aged 34, Wade only needs to continue to be consistent in all forms of the game, in particular first-class cricket. With that in mind, it’s only a matter of time before Matthew Wade has a baggy green cap on his head.
It may well be sooner rather than later.
DapF
Guest
Nevill should get the job. Stats and form are on his side. He's saved NSW fr many collapses this year too. Just cos he's less known to the public shouldn't come into it and neither should ODD or T20 performances when handing out baggy greens.
jameswm
Guest
Cutting was (and still is) injured, so it makes it tough for him to be picked ahead of Starc. Faulkner? He needs to do more. You can't seriously consider Faulkner a better bowler right now than Starc?
Dan Warna
Guest
THere is the issue of the NSW quota.... Hadidn is terrible. We know that. How starc got selected ahead of Cutting and faulkner is a mystery as well. Faulkner 66 wickets at 25, Starc, 55 wickets at 35...and the arguement is they want a lefty (faulkner also bats with a 30 average). Go figure.
Crispy
Guest
What Haddin needs right now is duct tape: to patch up the holes in his gloves, to tape the grill of his helmet to his chest to keep his head down while batting, and most importantly to tape his mouth shut. He's a tourist; watch him behind the stumps, he's watching the batsman, he's always up before the ball, weight back taking him away from the stumps. There was footage of Healy shown during one of the breaks on tv the other day, he NEVER stopped looking at the ball, it was like the batsman (or batter if you're Michael Clarke) wasn't even there. The little footage of Wade that I've seen has been impressive, they'll lose nothing in team spirit by bringing him in, and his keeping and batting are improving, not rapidly declining like Haddin. Mr Inverarity if you're reading, two words: Argus. Review.
jamesb
Guest
Red Kev its interesting how Haddin labels India "fragile" on Sydney radio. Than Zaheer Khan comes back by saying Haddin should concentrate on his keeping and batting. if I were Haddin, I wouldn't be labeling anyone "fragile" ATM. You could also argue that if the selectors don't make the right move very soon with Wade replacing Haddin, than you could label the Aussie selectors fragile.
Red Kev
Guest
And this: http://www.foxsports.com.au/cricket/australia/mickey-arthur-keeping-faith-in-under-fire-wicketkeeper-brad-haddin-ahead-of-perth-test-against-india/story-fn2mcu3x-1226240510513
formeropenside
Guest
Hartley is an excellent keeper, and a good enough bat, but once Haddin was preferred to him a few years back, his chance has come and gone, at least as far as the selectors are concerned. Hartley made a 100 on Shield debut, but has never quite lived up to that promise with the bat, for all his keeping has always been top notch.
jameswm
Guest
I wholeheartedly disagree with the notion that you don't change a winning team. If a team is winning despite underperforming players, then you change those players to make the team stronger. If all players are contributing positively and the team is winning, fine. And as Disco said - what about the NZ and SA fiascos?
jameswm
Guest
Healy was less when picked, but was picked on attitude, smarts and toughness.
Red Kev
Guest
Like this: http://www.smh.com.au/sport/cricket/kid-gloves-haddins-presence-crucial-for-fledgling-players-says-clark-20120109-1prvl.html
Disco
Roar Guru
The team didn't win in Hobart: Haddin and Ponting should've been dropped.
Disco
Roar Guru
Spot on, Rhys. I do suspect Cricket Australia brings commercial imperatives to the selection table. Who's most to blame? James $utherland.
Disco
Roar Guru
I think you're correct to suggest factors other than performance are influencing selection despite the Cricket Au$tralia company line trotted out by CEO Sutherland, coach Arthur, captain Clarke and, um, Pat Howard (not sure what he does).
Disco
Roar Guru
No, no, the official line is "Ponting's never drops anything in the slips".
Disco
Roar Guru
You'd have seen how they operate through the rabid support of Ponting despite his failings.
Disco
Roar Guru
I'm sure the Clarke-Arthur bloc represents a difficult opponent for the likes of selection newcomers like Inverarity and Bichel to argue against. It's unprofessional that the side isn't picked truly on merit.
Disco
Roar Guru
The selectors spell Tim Paine name thus: Tim Paine (c)
Disco
Roar Guru
I seem to recall a dropped catch in Melbourne. And he always lets plenty of byes through.
Disco
Roar Guru
The selectors will just see that as another reason to stall and keep their man. It seems like Arthur wants to keep the current side together irrespective of form - you can bet Johnson (a firm favourite of Arthur's) would be part of that side if he wasn't injured.
Disco
Roar Guru
Well then, Paine should've played in the Ashes. I suspect that the more criticism Haddin's subsequently received, the more the boys' club have stubbornly dug their heels in over his retention. In reality, there's no reason to wait for Paine when there's several decent alternatives about. I actually thought he should've played Test cricket sooner that he did, but Haddin is a joke these days.