Michael Clarke Feels Matthew Wade is in Trouble to Fetch Ashes Position
Sep 24, 2017 at 8:08 PM
Former Australian skipper Michael Clarke, who is concurrently in India for his commentary stint with Broadcasting giant Star Sports revealed the chances of gloveman Matthew Wade looks bleak while being the part of Ashes squad after being dropped for the third One-day international against hosts at Holkar Stadium in Indore.
“I think it’s very hard for Matthew Wade to fight his way into that Test team as well,” Clarke was quoted by Cricket Australia after commentating on Star Sports during the third ODI.
The 36-year-old Australia World Cup-winning skipper is of view that struggling Wade could be overlooked for the remainder of the ODIs.
However, Wade’s replacement as a gloveman Peter Handscomb scored just three of seven deliveries.
“I can’t see them (the CA national selectors) selecting him for the next two ODIs,” Clarke maintained.
Pertinently, the serving wicket-keeper batsman has been struggling to be among runs for the national side, in first two games while being in the sub-continent.
Wade scored nine at Chepauk, and one at Kolkata. These numbers are unimpressive.
“That’s a big decision from the Australian selectors,” Clarke added.
The left-handed 29-year-old Tasmania-born Wade has to prove himself in the domestic set-up, to impress the national selectors of Cricket Australia (CA), for the traditional Ashes series which is slated to kick off on November 23 at Gabba in Brisbane.
As Wade is in the strife, he also has a bad time while donning the gloves. In the first Test at Mirpur in Dhaka, Wade conceded 30 byes.
“He’s going to have to go back and play first-class cricket,” Clarke asserted.
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The five-match Magellan series is seen as a fascinating battle between hosts Australia and England which will be led by newly-appointed Joe Root.
The New South Wales former middle-order batsman Clarke, who averaged 44.58 in 245 ODIs believes it is the great chance for Handscomb to earn his hard-fought spot for the Ashes.
“This is an opportunity for (Handscomb), can he grab it with both hands,” Clarke further added.
Going down the hill, Wade is having a barren patch with willow, as he averages below 30 across all three formats.
Interestingly, the National Selection Panel of CA would be keenly observing and monitoring the performance of Wade, before announcing the Ashes squad.
Moreover, in the premium Sheffield Shield tournament in Australia alongside New South Wales’ gloveman Peter Nevill and 26-year-old Alex Carey, who plays for South Australia in the domestic leg.
Wade has so far played 93 ODIs, 25 T20Is and 22 Tests for Australia. He smashed a single hundred in ODIs in 78 innings.