Sorry Nev, Wade has booked his Ashes place

Mathew Wade is a must for Australia’s Ashes campaign, with the chirpy gloveman proving himself with both bat and his work behind the stumps since his return to the Test side.

Despite constant criticism and rumours, Mathew Wade must be a certainty to don the baggy green for Australia come the 23rd of November, when England arrive on our shores aiming to retain their ashes crown.

Following captain Steven Smith’s call for his teammates to show more fight, hunger, and to have pride in wearing the baggy green, the 29-year-old was recalled to Australia’s Test side ahead of the then struggling Peter Nevill.

It was evident that selectors were more interested in acquiring Wade’s batting ability at number 7, and vocal and aggressive nature from behind the stumps. Despite being the Aussies first choice as a wicket-keeper, 31-year-old Peter Nevill’s batting average of 22 from 23 innings for the national side just wasn’t adequate.

Despite only boasting an average of 29 at Test level from 33 innings, Wade has had an ODI career for Australia spanning 87 matches for one century and ten scores fast fifty. With an average in the limited overs format of only 26, some could be sceptical about why he is always considered, but Wade’s ability to close out innings and bat particularly well with the tail end has him as a shoe in for limited over’s cricket.

From this, we can assume that Wade’s ability to bat with the tail was key, as well as some further international experience in all formats of the game. This takes us back to his second Test century when he was on only 30 runs when Peter Siddle arrived at the crease, and then scoring his final 30 runs to reach triple figures while keeping the strike from debutant Jackson Bird when the Aussies were nine wickets down.

As well as this, since his re-selection, Wade’s pride for the baggy green has been on show, becoming very vocal from behind the stumps and really taking the challenge to the opposition.

Whether society considers ‘chat’ to be associated with the pride of wearing Aussie colours, captain Steve Smith asked for fight and has received it in Wade’s ability to win the mental game in any way that he can.

Wade and Nathan Lyon made headlines in the later stages of 2016, with the ‘Nice Gary’ craze taking over social media following the gloveman’s comical yet effective display of talk from behind the stumps.

While bowling to JP Duminy, Lyon, had more help than what he expected with Wade’s loud and proud rhetoric clearly having its effects, even being heard on the stump mic by commentators.

Duminy was soon bowled by Lyon for 26.

Now although this display is more of a line that just ‘caught on’ with society, it can also be more of a symbol of what Matthew Wade brings to the rising Australia side. His pride to represent his country is second to none, and his enthusiasm and competitive nature certainly justifies this.

In the recent Test series against India, Wade recorded nine catches and four stumpings in what can be considered as a very successful tour for a man who has been known to struggle with the wicket-keeping aspect of his post in the Australian side.

The man originally from Tasmania has worked hard on his glove work in recent years, and since returning to the national side. An impressive tour of India justifies this.

What can also add to a successful individual tour for Matthew Wade is a batting average of 32 at number seven for the Aussies. He managed three scores of over 30 including one fifty and two innings in which he finished not out.

Selectors can be impressed with Wade’s ability to not only put a price on his wicket, but finish an innings well with a more than helpful tail, that seemed to cope in tricky Indian conditions better than expected.

Provided an injury doesn’t occur, there is no way that the selectors can consider another wicket-keeper over Wade. It has been evident from the previous Test series against India that Wade is showing serious improvements since his last stint in the side, and can’t be far away from a career-defining series.