Haddin Not Hopeful of Test Spot

Brad Haddin concedes that he is likely to lose his Test place to Matthew Wade, but hopes his recent break from the game is not a factor in the selectors’ decision.

Haddin took six months away from cricket for personal reasons last April, allowing Wade to make his Test debut against the West Indies in the Caribbean.

Wade has since established himself in the Aussies one-day and T20 squads, playing in the mini one-day series in England and the T20 World Cup with Sri Lanka.

Haddin is back playing cricket again and is currently in South Africa with the Sydney Sixers, bidding to win the T20 Champions League.

The five-man selection panel insist they have not yet made a decision on who to pick behind the stumps for the upcoming Test series with South Africa, which will decide who sees in 2013 as the World’s number one ranked Test side.

However, Haddin feels they have already made their minds up, tipping Wade to take his place.

The 35-year-old is hopeful that is a purely cricketing decision though, rather than due to his break from the game, and also insists that he has plenty to offer still at international level.

"From my point of view, I hope that would never come into it [his break],'' Haddin said. ''I've had a six-month break away from the game, and haven't played that much cricket to be perfectly honest, so you wouldn't have to be Einstein to work out that they're not going to go my way, but my cricket, I think, is not done.

''I've been able to find the form that I needed to get back to playing cricket, which is pretty rewarding after the break, so all that stuff will take care of itself in the long term so I'm not too worried about it at the moment."

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