AFP/Sydney

Australia greats Ricky Ponting and Ian Healy say axing wicketkeeper Brad Haddin for the third Ashes Test against England, that began at Edgbaston yesterday, is a mistake, while Matthew Hayden called it “outrageous”.
Haddin, the vice-captain, has been overlooked in favour of the younger Peter Nevill, who impressed on his international debut in the second Test at Lord’s after the 37-year-old pulled out to be with his sick daughter Mia.
Former captain Ponting, who played 168 Tests, said the decision did not sit well with him. “I am disappointed with the decision to leave Brad Haddin out of the Test team for Edgbaston,” he said in a column for The Australian newspaper, adding that he was “the heart and soul of the team”.
“All reports suggest he would have played at Lord’s but he made the only and right decision to be with his daughter Mia who was very ill in hospital and missed that match.
“I know it would have been a hard call for him, he has been a single-minded and determined servant of Australian cricket, but he rightfully put his family first and has paid the price for it. I know he won’t complain about being dropped. He is a tough character but it doesn’t sit right with me.”
The decision was made by on-tour selector Rod Marsh, himself one of Australia’s greatest wicketkeepers, and coach Darren Lehmann, according to captain Michael Clarke.
Haddin’s daughter reportedly suffers from neuroblastoma—a rare form of cancer that attacks children aged five years or younger.
Ponting added that he feared Test cricket was now over for Haddin and “I am a little concerned that the team may miss him more than they expect. I hope I am wrong”.
Haddin, who retired from one-day international cricket after helping Australia win the World Cup this year, turns 38 in October with Nevill now seemingly having the chance to make the Test position his own.
Ponting, while conceding that Nevill was a “good keeper” who “looked tidy” on debut at Lord’s without being “exceptional”, said Haddin’s contribution with the bat in the 5-0 sweep of England in the 2013-14 Ashes series showed his importance.
“Brad’s batting has been critical to the team on many occasions but none more so than in the last Ashes. He scored 493 runs at an average of 62 and was just behind David Warner who scored 523 from two more innings,” Ponting added.
“It is in a series like that that his experience and value to the team came through. In the hard moments Brad always seemed to dig in. It is hard to remember him not batting in that series as he was involved in so many important partnerships.”
Former opening batsman Hayden was even more outspoken, questioning the precedent set by selectors.
“After the hell he’s gone through it is outrageous that Brad Haddin hasn’t gotten his spot back for the third Ashes Test,” he wrote in a column for news.com.au. “Any mum and dad who has experienced the issues Brad and his wife Karina are going through will understand there’s no way he was in a position to play cricket at Lord’s.
“What kind of precedent do the selectors want to set?” he asked. “It doesn’t say much for the family-first policy if Brad puts his family first and all of a sudden he’s out. Sometimes the heart has to play a part in selection.”
Leg-spin legend Shane Warne too was critical of the move. “If you’re going to have that ethos in the Australian cricket team that family comes first, and you’ve got a real issue with your family and decide to miss a Test match because of family reasons, to then get left out of the next Test match and (selectors) go with Nevill, I don’t think is correct,” Warne said.
Healy, ranked with Marsh as among Australia’s greatest ever wicketkeepers, also expressed concern at Haddin’s treatment. “I think that’s a harsh call on Brad Haddin,” he told Fox Sports of the 66-Test veteran. “I’d like him to have a chance to redeem his Cardiff performance and then maybe at the end of the series—or when he doesn’t redeem himself—then we can move to Nevill.”
Haddin was not at his best, with either bat or gloves, during England’s 169-run win in the first Test in Cardiff but Clarke said on Tuesday he would have played at Lord’s had he not withdrawn for family reasons.

Marsh defends decision to leave out Haddin
Australia selection chief Rodney Marsh said yesterday that he had no option but to leave wicket-keeper Brad Haddin out of the third Ashes Test against England at Edgbaston.
Haddin, the vice-captain, has been overlooked in favour of the younger Peter Nevill after the 37-year-old pulled out of the second Test at Lord’s to be with his sick daughter Mia.
Nevill, 29, took seven catches at Lord’s and made 45 during an impressive Test debut at Lord’s as Australia thrashed England by 405 runs to level the five-match Ashes series at 1-1.
Although both wicket-keepers played against Derbyshire in last week’s tour match, it was Nevill who was behind the stumps, with Haddin, again available for Test selection, playing as a batsman only.   
Marsh—one of Australia’s greatest wicket-keeper/batsmen and coach Darren Lehmann, the two on-tour selectors, opted to stick with Nevill for the third Test. But Marsh told cricket.com.au website that Haddin’s form did not warrant a recall. “He’s a fantastic player with a fantastic attitude but he’s averaging 15 in his last 12 Test matches,” said Marsh.
“We needed runs down there, he didn’t keep well—and he’ll admit that—at Cardiff (where England won the first Test by 169 runs) and the new boy did very, very well at Lord’s, so in my way of thinking, we didn’t have an option. It’s very hard to change a winning side.”