AUSTRALIA’S NEXT GLOVEMAN, THE CONTENDERS

PETER NEVILL

The NSW `keeper had a great summer, scoring 764 Sheffield Shield runs for the Blues including a career-best 235 not out in addition to 29 catches and a competition-high five stumpings. Performance earned the 29yo a spot on Windies and Ashes Tours.

MATTHEW WADE

Wade played the last of his 12 Tests during the disastrous tour of India in 2013. An aggressive batsman with two Test hundreds and an average of 34.61, it’s his keeping which has come under question. At 27 years old he still has time to work his way back to Test level.

SAM WHITEMAN

The 23-year-old English-born West Australian has shot into Test contention after the past two Shield campaigns, particularly a breakthrough 2013/14 summer which featured 687 runs and a competition-high 45 dismissals. Former Test keeper Ian Healy said Whiteman could be an Adam Gilchrist in mid-2014.

TIM PAINE

Was earmarked to be Haddin’s successor back in 2010 when he made his Test debut. Now a very fresh-faced 30-year-old, Paine’s Test career has stalled with just four appearances to his name. Injuries and the rise of his rivals have forced him down the pecking order.

RYAN CARTERS

At 24, another long-term option like Whiteman. Carters is the understudy to Nevill at NSW but has made 30 first class appearances and averages 35.35 with four centuries. The Canberra product once filled in behind the stumps for New Zealand against a Prime Minister’s XI in 2009 when Brendon McCullum was injured.

CHRIS HARTLEY

In many ways the 33-year-old Queenslander has been hard done by having never got to represent his country. The left-hander could never eclipse Brad Haddin as Adam Gilchrist’s successor and the NSW gloveman’s longevity means time has passed Hartley by. A fine wicketkeeper, his batting average of 31.91 from more than 100 first class games is probably the area where his international hopes were dashed.