Haddin 'one of the best team men I've ever been around' - Smith

Brad Haddin will always be welcome in the Australian team dressing room, of which he was such a major part for much of the past 15 years. The new captain Steven Smith and the coach Darren Lehmann both offered warm tributes to Haddin from Manchester as he announced his international retirement on the other side of the world in Sydney.

For Smith, Haddin is something like his cricketing father. The pair have been close for almost the entirety of the younger man's career with New South Wales and latterly Australia, also linking up influentially as the leadership duo for the Sydney Sixers. Last summer Haddin handed over his vice-captaincy post to Smith, allowing the 26-year-old to step in as Test captain at home against India. There will be plenty of Haddin about the way Smith leads Australia.

"He's been a terrific player over a long period of time for Australia, certainly one of the best team men I've ever been around - he always put the team first in every aspect," Smith said. "He's been a great mentor for me. I've learned so much off him, throughout [playing for] NSW. When I started there he was captain. I learned a lot off him there."

"In the Australian setup as well he always took me under his wing and helped me develop as a player and as a person. I'm very thankful for that. He was an extremely experienced player, and a great vice-captain to Michael throughout his whole career. He was just a great team man to have around, and who a lot of the young guys learned a lot off."

Smith also admired Haddin's natural tendency to take the game on, even if it meant the occasional pratfall. The rewards for such courage could be rich, never more so than during the 2013-14 Ashes summer when his brazen batting drove England to distraction.

"The home Ashes, where we won five-nil, he was a massive part of that. I think he scored 50 or more in the first innings in all five of those Test matches," Smith recalled. "He was a big part of our success throughout that summer. That's probably my fondest memory of him."

"Magnificent player, really took the game on. Batting at No.7, I think he really came out and played positively. I think there were a lot of times where he got us back into the game, just from sheer will and taking the game on. He was magnificent at that, and I think a lot of keepers around the world can learn from the way he played."

Lehmann and Haddin crossed paths well over a decade ago as opponents in domestic competition, and had their share of confrontations as aggressive captains of South Australia and New South Wales. Years later they worked closely as Lehmann took over as national team coach, and he admitted Haddin's role extended as far as mentoring the mentor.

"It's a sad day for Australian cricket, because he was a fantastic player, a fantastic mentor for a lot of young players. A great mentor for me as coach," Lehmann said. "I played against him as a youngster, [when I was] with South Australia, and saw him rise through the ranks and play some amazing knocks for Australia.

"Some of the catches and keeping he did over that period of time, in 66 Test matches, is an amazing achievement for him - but also [because of] what he went through personally. It's a credit to him and [wife] Karina and the kids. He's a fantastic human being and he'll be welcome in our change rooms all the time, because he's an absolute superstar."

The role of vice-captain to Michael Clarke was never an easy one, as Clarke himself knew from a difficult period alongside Ricky Ponting, while Shane Watson's alliance with Clarke was always tenuous. Haddin engendered such respect that he was able to work strongly alongside Clarke while also fashioning workable relationships with all players, and Lehmann credited his ability to use the position for the betterment of the team.

"The way he went about it as vice-captain of Australia was exceptional," Lehmann said. "He was instrumental in Ashes, World Cup, series wins in South Africa. We had a lot of success with Brad in the team. He was fantastic around the group and he complemented Michael really well. He was a fantastic vice-captain for Australia, one of the best we've ever had.

"He was quite vocal behind the scenes. He was one of those guys that really wanted to help and push the youngsters ... making sure they're learning the craft. He pushed the Australian cricket team to the limits, and I think that's a great thing for a vice-captain, a keeper, [to be] someone so vocal."

"You've seen someone like Steven Smith, who obviously grew up watching Brad and then playing with Brad, and [learning from] the way he went about it, the way he trained. His work ethic was second to none. I think Michael and him set a great example for the way they went about it and played the game."

When asked to sum up Haddin's legacy, Lehmann offered the following: "The baggy green, the way he wore it with pride. The way he helped younger players. The way he helped drive the team as a whole. The way he helped coaches. The way he helped mould the team. The way we play today is an exceptional legacy for him. The way he thought about his family and helped his family through difficult times, and the way he helps other people's family and friends."