Darren Lehmann Says Australia’s Wicket keeping Spot Still Up For the Grabs
Oct 26, 2017 at 8:05 PM
The Ashes is less than a month away, but Australia’s woes on who their wicket-keeper will be in the series is not yet over. Australian selectors have been indecisive about the wicket-keeping spot with Matthew Wade and Peter Neville. Wade who has been preferred by the selectors off late has been inconsistent with both, bat and gloves behind the stumps. The first Ashes Test begins from 23rd November at Gabba in Brisbane.
Australian coach Darren Lehmann believes that it is essential for a wicketkeeper to be amongst the runs to be in the Australian side for the Ashes. Lehmann said that no one is guaranteed a wicketkeeping slot in the team. Wade is under enormous pressure for the slot from his counterparts, Peter Neville and a new rising wicket keeping batsman, Alex Carey who set the record for most dismissals (59) in the 2016/17 season.
Wade will be battling for his spot in the first three rounds of the JLT Sheffield Shield tournament. Lehmann said:
“We always want the best gloveman, Wadey’s certainly improved his glovework, he just hasn’t made any runs for us. You’d love to have someone that averages over 30 at the moment. Our six and seven has really struggled in the past three or four years. That’s an area we know we need to improve on. Glovework is paramount still, as it normally always is, and then we want runs.”
The Australian cricket fraternity is currently divided on who the selectors should choose for the wicket-keeping spot. Former Australian wicket-keeper Ian Healy along with Mitchell Johnson and Michael Slater have batted for Peter Neville whereas legendary Alan Border believes Wade should be retained on the side.
Former Australian explosive wicket keeping batsman Adam Gilchrist believes that Peter Neville should be picked:
“as a fan, wanting Australia to win the Ashes I think Nevill should be back in”.
Lehmann further added on the selection of a wicket-keeper:
“I’ve been very impressed by him (Carey), Nevill and Wade in JLT Cup. And (Cameron) Bancroft from WA did a good job too, so there’s a lot of guys there that have stood up in the one-day format, “It’s obviously a different format coming up now, four-day cricket, so a chance to bat longer, bat big, and make some big runs as well. It’s a case of who puts their hand up under pressure. These three Shield rounds are highly pressurised with spots up for grabs. If someone performs really well in these three games, it’s going to go a good long way to making the Test 12.”
Lehmann also confirmed that the squad for the first Test would be picked on November 17th after the third of Sheffield Shield:
“Hopefully we have a really good idea after the first two rounds, but we’ll wait and see after the third round to make the final call.”