Farewell Brad Haddin

First the hard numbers – nearly 7000 runs and 500 dismissals in 66 Tests, 126 ODIs, 34 T20Is in an international career spanning 14 years. All pointing out to the fact that Brad Haddin was certainly one of Australia’s better wicket-keepers (and coming from the land of Marsh, Healy, Gilchrist et al thats quite something)

He had to wait a while to make his Test debut due to the presence of a certain Adam Gilchrist. Yet Haddin ensured that the absence of even the irreplaceable Gilchrist wasn’t felt much in the Aussie line-up. A feisty character, a team man but he was also the kind of player who took the “Gentleman” out of the Gentleman’s game.

Exhibit A 

He sledged the Kiwi players in the 2015 World Cup Final because they had been “nice” to Aussies in an earlier group game. In an interview to a radio station Haddin is quouted as, “You know what? They deserved it. They were that nice to us in New Zealand and we were that uncomfortable. I said in the team meeting: 'I can't stand for this anymore, we're going at them as hard as we can … I'm not playing another one-day game, so they can suspend me for as long as they like.” 

Exhibit B

From another New Zealand – Australia match (Link)

Dislodging the bails with your hand while claiming a bowled - might have gotten away in earlier time but not in HD era.

Why do the Kiwis get his goat so much? Maybe because they are nice folks.

So farewell Brad Haddin. You had a good run in international cricket but the sport will be a lot nicer, albeit less interesting, without characters like you.