Sacrifice secures future for Wade
MATTHEW Wade has revealed how he turned the seemingly thankless sacrifice of shifting himself up to open the batting into an opportunity to safeguard his future.
Far from being sentenced to walk the plank, Wade, pictured, saw it as a ladder to making himself the ultimate Test match utility for Australia at a time when 21- year- old Cameron Green has exploded onto the scene.
As Travis Head fights for his international future, Wade has become an indispensable figure for touring squads across all three formats of the game due to his ability to bat at the top and the middle, and double as a back- up wicketkeeper.
If Wade’s pinch- hitting move to open had failed and others had flourished around him, the Tasmanian could have made himself most vulnerable to the axe when David Warner did return.
At 27 years of age, Head certainly has youth in his favour over Wade when it comes to a choice over who makes way for all- round prodigy Green in the middle- order.
But the courage of 33- yearold Wade to take one for the team at his own personal risk, may end up prolonging his career in Australian colours.
“There was none of that ( assurances about holding spot if opening didn’t work out). Justin spoke to me and asked if I’d be comfortable to do it,” Wade said.
“No one pushed me into doing it or directed me to do it.
“I said I’m more than comfortable to go up there and open the batting. It didn’t worry me too much in terms of Davey coming back.
“I saw it as an opportunity to show I’m versatile enough to bat from one to seven. I saw it as a really positive opportunity. For tours going forward, they’ve got someone who can cover every position if something does go wrong.
“Obviously I can wicketkeep as well if something happened to Tim ( Paine).”
In the era of concussion substitutes, a player with Wade’s versatile skillset is almost essential in all formats, even if not in a starting XI.
Wade said he is still none the wiser about whether he will open in the Sydney Test, as selectors mull over whether Will Pucovski is ready for a Test debut in his comeback from a ninth career concussion.
Wade is yet to make a big score at the top of the order, but his resilience and toughness has already shone through.
After thinking he’d never play another match for Australia again when he was dropped in late 2017, the gritty lefthander is no longer a prisoner of worrying about his position.
“I think I’m a bit past that now. My spot has been speculated on for 10 years now and I’m pretty used to that. I just go out and do what I can do,” said Wade.