Haddin ignites Ashes fire
Keeper says no let-up in sledging as England name team for first Test
Australia wicketkeeper Brad Haddin has insisted there will be no changes in his onfield approach despite calls for an end to ‘sledging’ during the upcoming Ashes series against England.
Ahead of next week’s first Test in Cardiff, England paceman James Anderson has contrasted the sporting atmosphere, which prevailed during his side’s recent series with New Zealand to the bitterness of the last Ashes campaign, which Australia won 5-0 on home soil in 2013/14, and urged an end to ‘sledging’ or verbal abuse of opposition players on the field.
But Haddin, much criticised for the way in which he gave departing New Zealand batsmen ‘send-offs’ during Australia’s World Cup final victory in Melbourne in March, was quick to point out that Anderson himself had not been shy of dishing out the ‘verbals’ during previous Ashes campaigns.
“They start half of it! What about Jimmy Anderson? He has called for peace hasn’t he? He better look at himself in the mirror,” said Haddin in the buildup to Australia’s four-day tour match against Essex in Chelmsford starting on yesterday.
“I have never played in an Ashes campaign where things have got out of hand, this one will be no different,” said the 37-year-old Haddin, a veteran of 65 Tests.
“The tradition of the urn deserves that, to play the brand of cricket we play, and England play. We have not won [an Ashes series] here [England] for 14 years now. The Ashes will be played in the great spirit [they] always have [been], but it will be contested.”
Haddin also said thought of Australia adopting the approach of New Zealand, who have long since abandoned ‘sledging’, was a non-starter. “We are not New Zealand. We won the World Cup final. We will play the way we play, which works for us, and if you like it, you like it,” he said.
The forthcoming five-Test series will be England’s first under Australian coach Trevor Bayliss, someone Haddin knows well from their time together at New South Wales and in the Big Bash League with the Sydney Sixers.
Haddin believes Bayliss will do a good job for England, just as he did while coaching Sri Lanka from 2007-2011.
The hosts, meanwhile, named uncapped Yorkshire leg-spinner Adil Rashid and Middlesex fast bowler Steven Finn into a 13man England squad announced yesterday for the first Test.
Rashid, 27, who has played both One Day International and Twenty20, but not Test, cricket for England took eight wickets and performed well with the bat during England’s recent 3-2 50over series win at home to World Cup finalists New Zealand.
The 26-year-old Finn played the last of his 23 Tests in the 2013 Ashes opener at Trent Bridge but has worked his way back into the squad after suffering problems with his bowling action.
Rashid was not included in England’s 14-man pre-Ashes training camp in Spain, where most of the squad met with their new Australian coach Trevor Bayliss for the first time.
The tradition of the urn deserves that, to play the brand of cricket we play, and England play. We have not won [an Ashes series] here [England] for 14 years now.”
Brad Haddin (right) | Aussie keeper