While Brad Haddin is still out there scoring runs and snatching leg-side dismissals, the fact remains that age is not just a number.
At the end of the month, Hads will be 37, and on the top 10 most-capped keepers, only England’s Alec Stewart has carried on past that birthday.
One would imagine that after next year’s World Cup, Australia’s incumbent wicketkeeper may evaluate his place in the side.
So let’s have a look at our domestic stocks when it comes to the gloves, and throw some imaginary odds on them!
Sam Whiteman – $2.50
Whiteman seems to be the favoured understudy by the selectors. After getting a call up in the Australia A side against India A, he made it count, notching up his maiden first-class ton. However, it was a run feast of a match, and that is his only first-class hundred to date.
Western Australia have a history of producing great keeper-batsmen (Rod Marsh, Adam Gilchrist, Ryan Campbell), and Whiteman has kept for an assortment of quicks and spinners. Still, Sam would need to score a few more runs before getting a baggy green.
Matthew Wade – $5
There was a time when this race was clear cut. Scoring runs and nabbing dismissals, Matthew Wade had the gloves and looked unlikely to lose them, after usurping Haddin. Since he lost his place to Haddin in 2013, Wade’s form has been questionable at state level. He captained the Bushrangers in their One Day Cup campaign, and perhaps the extra responsibility is taking an additional toll on his batting and keeping.
If Haddin retired tomorrow, I feel Cricket Australia would turn back to Wade, as his experience at the top level outshines his competition.
Peter Nevill – $11
Many were scratching their heads when Nevill departed for the West Indies in 2012 as a back-up for Wade. Unless you had followed Shield cricket intently, his low-profile career may have meandered past you.
With Wade hogging the gloves at Victoria, Nevill moved up to NSW and hasn’t looked back. He’s captained the side, as well as become an integral part of the lower order, and their man behind the stumps. He’s kept wicket to some pretty mean NSW talent, and he moves and even looks similar to Hads himself.
Ben Dunk – $20
While he’s been given the gloves for the upcoming South African T20 series, due to the likely clash with the return of the Test squad from the UAE tour, it’s hard to imagine that Dunk, not currently the incumbent for Tasmania, would take the full-time role for Australia.
He seems to be there to replace a combination of David Warner and Haddin in the opener spot. Not to mention this is T20, and his limited overs form is much more impressive than his first class career. He would have to do something pretty remarkable in this year’s Shield Cricket with the bat and gloves to rise to the top of the pecking order. Yet stranger things have happened.
Ryan Carters – $26
He may be the dark horse in the race, but I am a huge Carters fan. Given Cricket Australia’s habit of rolling the dice with youth, if Haddin retired tomorrow, Carters may be given his debut. He’d still be ranked lower than the others in this race, as he is not even the first-choice keeper for NSW when Nevill is playing, but his 2013-14 breakout season showed what class and potential this young man has.
His start to the domestic one day season was solid, accumulating 100+ runs without being dismissed. Furthermore, his charity initiative ‘Batting for Change’ showed a responsible and worldly side of the young man.
Tim Paine – $51
One may feel Tim’s time may have come and gone. After getting a shot at the job after Graeme Manou in the post-Gillie era, Paine played four Tests and nearly 30 ODIs after Haddin was sidelined with injury. He was ear-marked as next in line, but a series of finger injuries, and subsequent form slumps, now have him much further down the pecking order.
Despite having a great cricketing brain and experience, several other glovemen would need to be admitted to the infirmary for Paine to be recalled.
Not named – $151
So that’s five of them, but let’s face it, the race is wide open, as young guns Peter Handscomb and Cameron Bancroft have big raps, and old dog Chris Hartley has been pumping runs this One Day Cup.
This domestic season is poised to bring out the best of all our wicketkeeping understudies, as the World Cup, and next year’s Ashes may signal the swan song for Hads.
DingoGray
Roar Guru
I actually think Haddin been pretty tidy behind the stumps this tour. But your right about his batting form? It's done! Apart from getting lucky in the Ashes, he's not scoring big runs for Australia anymore.
Bob Sims
Guest
I don't disagree that Whiteman will develop into something special, Don, and I'm sure his time as Test keeper will come, but as I've said in another post, given the coming withdrawal/retirement of several of the current side, now is not the time for a tyro. Paine presents a much better option currently, even if it is only for a few years. More settling for the side as a whole,and the importance of that shouldn't be underestimated.
Bobbo7
Guest
Sorry, is Haddin still scoring runs? He had a good series against England (who dropped him a number of times) but other than that series Haddin has done stuff all with the bat and been average behind the stumps
Scuba
Guest
The comment was that he'd be in trouble after 1 or 2 bad Tests - he's had 4 and no one is talking about dropping him. I don't watch a lot of state cricket but it's a frightening thought if he is our most competent keeper - quite frankly he is nothing special behind the stumps.
Gareth Kidd
Roar Guru
4 tests is hardly a sample size. Look at his form through both ashes. Not to mention he's the most competent keeper.
Bearfax
Guest
Fly in the ointment DT. Wade has been selected as keeper in the initial ODI matches against South Africa to give Haddin time out apparently
DT
Guest
Given Neville was called up as back up for an in international tour not long ago and Whiteman being in the A squad ( I think Neville too recently) surely it is a two horse race between these two. Early shield form with gloves and bat could be the decider, not so much age.
Scuba
Guest
In his last 4 Tests Haddin has averaged 8 and had a top score of 22. That suggests it'll take more than "a bad game or two" for him to be moved on.
Jo M
Guest
Niece. Her and her boyfriend, Mitchell Starc, used to share the keeping duties for a male rep team in their younger days. She was too good for the girls and he ended up getting way too tall and changed to bowling about 7 years ago.
Brendan Buckley
Guest
I would take Hartley and Whiteman to the Ashes next year. If we don't have any test cricket between the WC and the Ashes we may lack keeping experience. But Hartley would be my first choice for the next 3 years while Whiteman matures for a while but Whiteman would be straight in if Harts was to get injured. Haddin NEEDS to retire after this summer. It would be good if we had a test series between the home summer and the ashes so Hartley would be able to get established. But Aus A and warm up matches might have to do.
Craig Watson
Guest
Carters is keeping his end in with the gloves as he keeps for his grade club.
Craig Watson
Guest
I knew that but he plays for the Blues is all I meant. Can u tell me about Carters record in VIC?
Brendan Buckley
Guest
I thought Chris Hartley would be a good chance if Haddin retires tomorrow. His first class experience is way more that Wade, Nevill, Whiteman & Paine as well as Dunk, Carters, Bancroft etc.
matth
Guest
Just not Wade. Over 5 days and in different conditions his keeping liabilities are found out and are not covered by his batting maybe being slightly better than the other contenders. Can't keep at all on the sub-continent. I wish Hartley was 5 years younger. We tend to look for keepers to have a long run in the team and have not been afraid to pick inexperienced but quality keepers in the past (Healey had played maybe 12 shield games and was not first choice for QLD). So I say Whiteman.
matth
Guest
And was Haddin older when he took over from Gilly?
Bearfax
Guest
Don you again misrepresent me. I indicated that stats are dependent also upon present performances and age. For example if two players of similar stats and age are vying for a position, obviously the one in form is selected. That even applies if the in form players averages are slightly less than the other player. For example if I had a batsman aged 30 with an average of 46 and another batsman aged 30 with an average of 43, I would select the one who is in form. My application of stats is almost always when there is a wide difference such as with Doolan and Hughes who are about 10 runs different. The issue is that the player with the poorer average (and being older)will tend to maintain that average or less at test level. The player with the higher average will likewise tend to maintain his average at test level or slightly lower. With most batsman if you use this rule of thumb it generally applies (there are exceptions like Watson whose test average is significantly less). I know at this point you will identify Hughes...and Khawaja whose test averages are much less than their first class averages. That I put down to teething problems where faults are identified that need rectifying. But in time I'm convinced both with achieve much greater success if given further opportunities at test level. With a wicket keeper, I'm afraid that depends upon how his style is seen by the selectors. For example everyone seems to be bagging Wade, yet the selectors just selected him for the next set of ODIs so he must be doing something right in their eyes Wicketkeeping competence seems very much in the eye of the beholder. There is also the issue of age. Obviously we cant expect a 21 year old to be averaging 45-50 unless they are exceptional. the bar therefore has to be lowered. So I would expect a 30 year old to be averaging close to 45 to be considered test quality. But at 25 I would be looking at an average around 40 and at 21 an average around 30-35. And of course its approximate but as a rule of thumb it usually comes out consistent with those who succeed. As for selecting Whiteman, I understand his glove work is good, but as selectors also look at scoring ability, it is noted that he has virtually the same average as Neville his main contender. But Whiteman is 22, Neville 29. On average this suggests that Whiteman will become the superior batsman in time and further that he is more likely to offer long term stability to the position, so I chose him
Quitwhinging
Guest
No, let Carters earn selection as a batsmen, he's done well without the gloves
jameswm
Guest
His daughter's pretty handy too.
Johnno
Guest
Ian Healy's son is the natural successor.
Cadfael
Roar Guru
Whiteman for me at the moment, It's early days yet but he was in the Australia A side. Gilchrist is from NSW. He went to WA because he couldn't break into the NSW team as keeper.