Brad Haddin    

Brad Haddin displayed impressive courage during his opening Test series in the West Indies when he played through the pain of a broken finger, and by the end of his first year was one of the national team's most important assets. At that time he was indispensable, shuffling around the one-day order, proving himself as a productive Test run-maker and slowly improving on his glovework. There were even a couple of Twenty20 captaincy engagements when Ponting, Clarke and Hussey were rested. The only serious break Haddin got in that time was to his finger.

Having waited seven years for an opening after gaining one-day international status in 2001, he was not going to return the chance to stamp himself as Adam Gilchrist's long-term replacement. The fracture to his right ring finger occurred in his debut Test, but he played through the final two games of the series, despite being in further discomfort when an infection developed. He eventually succumbed during the one-day series and went home with 16 Test catches and 151 runs at 30.20, including a confident double of 33 and 45 not out in the third contest.

Life in India was tougher and the flaws in his keeping were on show, but when he started contributing with the bat he was able to relax and both aspects of his game improved. The breakthrough occurred against New Zealand in Adelaide, where he passed 50 for the first time in Tests and went on to 169, showing flashes Gilchrist would have accepted. A hundred was narrowly missed at the WACA when he was fighting with the tail and there was only one single-figure score in six Tests against the Proteas.

In England in 2009 Haddin began in great form with the bat, scoring 121 at Cardiff and 80 at Lord's, where he gave up 20 byes as he struggled to deal with the late movement. He broke a finger shortly before the start of the Edgbaston Test and was replaced by Graham Manou, but bravely came back for the final two games. He remained a useful contributor with the bat during the 2009-10 campaign, but his highlight was the spectacular, one-handed take at full stretch down the legside off Salman Butt. It was a hugely impressive catch that helped Australia to an unbelievable win at the SCG in 2009-10. (New Zealand supporters find it hard to forget the glove-assisted bowled of Neil Broom in a one-day game the previous summer.) Another injury, a batting-related elbow problem, rubbed him out of the Pakistan series in England.

When fit, Haddin is also a highly valuable presence in the limited-overs sides, and owns a couple of one-day centuries as an opener. He is a clean, effortless hitter and his lofted straight drive is among the best shots in the game. Haddin deserved his international chance after holding the most nerve-fraying position in Australian cricket for years. Once he had seen off the highly rated Darren Berry, Wade Seccombe and Ryan Campbell, he was the wicketkeeper-in-waiting and entrusted with warming the seat whenever Gilchrist needed a rest. When Gilchrist left Haddin was handed the gloves at the first opportunity.

In 2004-05 he scored 916 first-class runs at 57.25 while leading the Blues to a one-wicket Pura Cup victory over Queensland and he also posted a limited-overs century for Australia A against Pakistan. A regular leader of Australia's 2nd XI, Haddin backed up in 2005-06 with 617 Pura Cup runs at 51.41 and added another 669 at 55.75 the following year. In 2007-08, which was interrupted by national tours to India and a series of one-day appointments, he kept his average above 50 while scoring three hundreds in seven first-class games.

Haddin was a tourist for the 2005 England trip but was used only once as a one-day Supersub and finished the game without having a hit. A former Australia Under-19 captain who grew up in Gundagai, he began his domestic career in 1997-98 with the Australian Capital Territory in their debut Mercantile Mutual Cup season, and two years later was playing for New South Wales.
Peter English July 2010