The Australia wicketkeeper Brad Haddin will miss the Lord’s Test for family reasons, Cricket Australia has announced. He will be replaced by Peter Nevill, the 29-year-old New South Wales wicketkeeper-batsman who will be making his international debut.
The Cricket Australia website suggested Haddin would miss the Test for personal reasons rather than being omitted, though the wicketkeeper had an unfortunate time in the first Test in Cardiff, dropping Joe Root in the first innings on nought before the Yorkshire batsman went on to make 134 of England’s 430 runs.
The 37-year-old played very little part in the tourists’ practice session at Lord’s on Tuesday, two days before the second Investec Ashes Test. It transpired soon afterwards that he would miss the match, with confirmation coming via a CA press release.
“I can confirm that Brad Haddin has withdrawn himself from the second Test at Lord’s for family reasons,” the team’s media manager, Kate Hutchison, said. “He will remain with the team in London and we won’t be making any further comment.Peter Nevill will replace him in the side.”
Nevill, uncapped in any international format, is also Haddin’s understudy for New South Wales and has a fine first-class record with a batting average of more than 44, including a double-century.
Haddin, like many of his compatriots, had a tough match in the first Test at Cardiff, where England were in charge almost throughout on their way to a 169-run victory. But he was the scourge of England in their 2013-14 Ashes whitewash defeat, topping Australia’s batting averages with five half-centuries, including a top score of 118.
Haddin could make only 29 runs across the two innings in Cardiff and it may be that Nevill has been brought in for his batting as much as his wicketkeeping, having averaged 76 in the recent Sheffield Shield season.
There was better news for Australia in that their paceman Mitchell Starc, who has been suffering from an ankle injury, looks like being fit for Lord’s, according to his potential replacement Peter Siddle.
“Starcy got through well today, bowled out in the middle off the long run, both ends; he’s feeling good,” Siddle said. “I guess it’s just a waiting game at the moment for myself. Everyone’s fit which is nice.”
There were problems, meanwhile, before the pending one-day series which follows the Tests when Australia announced that James Faulkner would not be considered for selection after being charged with drink-driving.
The 25-year-old World Cup-winning all-rounder was charged this month, during a stint with Lancashire, and Australia put out a statement on Tuesday which read: “Cricket Australia has charged all-rounder James Faulkner with a level-three offence under its code of behaviour, after he was found to have been drink-driving in the United Kingdom.
“Faulkner has been charged under the code for conduct that is unbecoming of a representative and that is or could be harmful to the interests of cricket.”
Faulkner has received four suspension points, which will effectively rule him out of a one-day international against Ireland at the end of next month and then the first three of five against England.
The statement added: “Given he will be unavailable for a significant component of that series, Faulkner will not be considered for the Australian T20 or ODI squad when it is announced in mid-August. He may be considered as a replacement for an injured player following his suspension if required.
“Faulkner will also have to undergo an alcohol management counselling programme, as determined by the Cricket Australia chief medical officer, and pay for any damage to property caused by his actions while driving.
“He has also been formally reprimanded by Cricket Australia for his behaviour.”
