Forget the Ashes, Matthew Wade has the chance to stamp his claim to be Australia’s long-term wicketkeeper in the one-day series against England starting on Friday.
Wade’s standout performances in the Caribbean have set up an intriguing three-way battle for control behind the stumps with Brad Haddin and Tim Paine.
Haddin has retained his Cricket Australia contract and will be considered for the next Test against South Africa in Brisbane in November.
Meanwhile, Wade’s former childhood mate Paine is on the comeback trail after having his career stalled by an injured finger.
Paine, 27, appeared to be Haddin’s natural successor following the 2010 United Kingdom tour but the injury and 24-year-old Wade’s emergence have changed all that.
However, Paine is still highly rated and has been given an opportunity to impress in Australia A’s four-match tour of England starting next month.
With all that playing out in the background, Wade said he was just trying to come to grips with the unfamiliar conditions before this week’s series opener at Lord’s.
“I want to play well over here. I don’t want to just get the experience,” he said.
“I struggled early in the West Indies tour trying to get used to those conditions. We were only there for a couple of days before we played the first one-dayer.
“So these two weeks coming over earlier has been a great help for me and some of the younger players that haven’t played over here before.
“I want to play good cricket and hope to cement my spot in the team, to be honest.”
Wade said he did not consider the five-match series against England to be an audition for next year’s Ashes series.
However, history would suggest he had better grab hold of his chance.
After all, Adam Gilchrist waited until one week short of turning 28 for his Test debut and Brad Haddin pulled on the baggy green for the first time after his 30th birthday. And Paine, three years Wade’s senior, still has plenty of cricket ahead of him, barring a continuation of his injury curse.
If all that pressure to perform was not enough, Wade is still waiting to discover his regular batting position in the one-day side.
In his brief one-day career, the left-hander has bounced between opening and coming in after the specialist batsmen.
Coach Mickey Arthur said the team was yet to settle on Wade’s best spot.
“I’ve opened the batting for the last three or four years at home (for Victoria) and then before that,” Wade said.
“So it’s not a huge swing, as long as I know a few days out which I generally will, what I’m doing and I can prepare for that.”
Australia play their final warm-up match against Essex in Chelmsford on Tuesday, starting at 2pm (2300 AEST).
