Still mates

Wade denies rivalry with Haddin

MATTHEW Wade regards Brad Haddin as his mentor, even though it’s more than likely he’ll nudge his good mate out o f the Test wicketkeeping role.

Wade said yesterday he’d learnt plenty from Haddin in time spent together in the Australian squad.

Haddin, already usurped by Wade as the Aussie gloveman in the short forms of the game, lost the Test role in the Caribbean in April when he returned home to be with his seriously ill daughter.

And Wade took his chance, impressing behind the stumps and notching a maiden ton in Dominica in his most recent Test.

While much has been made of their impending selection battle before next month’s Test series against South Africa, Wade said he and Haddin remained tight.

‘‘I know ‘Hads’ well and I’ve got no hard feelings at all, no matter what happens,’’ Wade said.

‘‘He has done well in a first-class game this year, scoring a hundred (against Tasmania at Bankstown) . . . so it was always going to be talked about before the first Test. ‘‘That’s the game we play. ‘‘People are going to challenge for your spot and you’ve just got to hope you can do enough to keep it.

‘‘Hads has been in a difficult situation for the past six months, and I really feel for him and his family.

‘‘I think the one thing Hads would be doing is just enjoying playing cricket. If he concentrates on cricket for a couple of hours, it helps take his mind off things at home.’’

Wade said there was ‘‘absolutely’’ no wedge between them.

‘‘Not at all. We were on the West Indies tour together and he helped me out a lot,’’ he said.

‘‘He has played almost 50 Tests (43) and has a wealth of knowledge — he has played in all conditions and helps me out massively.

‘‘We had a camp in Darwin before the recent one-day tour and he was more than happy to share tips that he has picked up and things I could work on to be a better player.

‘‘He has a lot to offer — I think he’d be a really good coach because he sees things really clearly as a cricketer.

‘‘Him and ‘Stumper’ (former Test gloveman and current fielding coach Steve Rixon) and I were having a catch and it’s nice to bounce ideas off another keeper because sometimes we get forgotten a bit.’’

Wade, 24, was philosophical about his chances despite a growing chorus he has done enough to play his first home Test series.

‘‘I’ve got a game for Victoria coming up; the (national) team gets picked after that, and that’s when I’ll get an indication of where I’m at,’’ he said.