Confirmed: Matthew Wade Returns Home to Tasmania
Jan 13, 2019 at 4:22 PM
Matthew Wade, the Australian wicketkeeper batsman has been included in Tasmania’s list of contracted players for the 2017-18 season which confirms the 29-year-old’s move back to his home state from Victoria. After plying his trade with Victoria for 10 years, Wade has decided to return to his home state due to family reasons.
SQUAD ANNOUNCEMENT: Here is your 2017-18 Tasmanian Tigers list! A few new faces & some familiar ones. Now bring on the season 🏏#TIGERS1718 pic.twitter.com/kzmqndtd34
— Cricket Tasmania (@crickettas) August 16, 2017
Australia’s first-choice wicketkeeper played only one List A match for his native state when he represented the Tasmania Tigers in the 2006–07 Ford Ranger One-Day Cup season. With opportunities to play regularly looking bleak due to the presence of Tim Paine, Wade moved to Victoria in the 2007–08 season. The bold decision paid rich dividends, as Wade not only won titles but also made his way to the national side in all three formats of the game.
The left-handed batsman led Victoria to back to back Sheffield Shield titles in 2014-15 and 2015-16. He was instrumental in both the campaigns especially during the 2014-14 season, where he scored 572 runs at 57.2.
Meanwhile, Wade and his Australia teammate Jackson Bird are the only two Cricket Australia-contracted players in the Tasmania squad that will hope for a turnaround with Wade’s arrival and under new coach Adam Griffith after a dismal Sheffield Shield campaigns in the last two seasons, where they finished last.
However, Wade is likely to skip most of the matches, as he is Australia’s number one choice across all formats. On Friday (August 18), he will be flying out with the team for the two-Test series in Bangladesh before Steve Smith & Co. visit India for the ODI series. It will be followed by the Ashes at home. Former ODI skipper George Bailey will once again lead the side.
“After a lengthy process we are excited by the young talent we have been able to acquire from interstate, along with the continual development of local players,” Griffith said in a statement. “We have been able to increase our depth in the fast bowling ranks, which is vital for the long season ahead.”