Healy backs Nevill for keeps

WICKETKEEPING great Ian Healy has questioned the wisdom of Australia’s Test selectors while backing Peter Nevill to replace Matthew Wade behind the stumps for the Ashes.

Wade faces an almighty battle to save his Test career, with Nevill and South Australian bolter Alex Carey jostling to take his spot unless he can deliver much-needed runs for Tasmania in the Sheffield Shield.

A lack of big scores was the main reason cited by selectors when they dropped Nevill from the Test side last summer in favour of Wade.

But Healy yesterday endorsed Nevill as the country’s most technically proficient gloveman.

“I think they sort of disrespected ‘Wadey’ a little bit in India, dropping him for one [ODI] game and then bringing him back – so I sense that they might be going back to Nevill,” Healy told SEN radio.

“What you need [is] someone to average 30, make handy runs when we absolutely need them and make sure your top six do their job.

“The quandary we’ve got at the moment is we do not know our No.6. We’ve got a brand new No.2 [Matt Renshaw], [Peter] Handscomb brand new at No.5 and [Usman] Khawaja has been in and out.

“The disruption to the top order is putting a whole lot of pressure on the wicketkeeping selection, and it shouldn’t.”

Wade has averaged 20 with the bat since being recalled to the Test side last year.