Haddin withdraws from Lord's Test

Peter Nevill will become Australia’s 443^rd Test cricketer after veteran gloveman Brad Haddin ruled himself out the second Test against England at Lord’s beginning on Thursday for family reasons.

Haddin did not take part in Australia’s lengthy training session at the Home of Cricket this morning but, having completed his team’s warm-up at the famous ground, he remained in the visiting team’s dressing room where he was seen in earnest discussion with coach Darren Lehmann.

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Darren Lehmann and Brad Haddin chat at Lord's // Getty Images

By contrast, 29-year-old Nevill was conspicuous by the amount of work he did with the gloves and with the bat, although confirmation of Haddin’s sudden absence did not arrive until hours after the session had been completed and the team had returned to their London hotel.

Nevill will become the first Australia Test player to receive his Baggy Green Cap at Lord’s since current vice-captain Steve Smith and another former ‘keeper Tim Paine both made their debut there against Pakistan in 2010.

And they were the first Australians to do so in more than 30 years.

Contrary to rumours sweeping Lord’s earlier in the day as a series of mini conferences were held among Australia players and support staff at the Nursery nets, Haddin will remain with the team in London.

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Haddin with Bupa Support Team psychologist Michael Lloyd // Getty Images

However, a CA spokesperson said he would not be making any further comment on the matter.

It is not the first time the 37-year-old, the father of three young children with wife Karina, has put the needs of family before the commitments of cricket.

In 2012 he took a year away from the game when his then 13-month-old daughter Mia was diagnosed with neuroblastoma, a rare cancer that affects children under the age of five.

Brad Haddin had an extra bit of support with him before the start of play at the SCG in the 2014 Pink Test against England at teh SCG

“I didn't think about cricket,” Haddin told Fairfax Media earlier this year about his time he spent away from the game before returning to the Test side in 2013.

“I didn't think about coming back to the game ... it was making sure Mia had the best possible chance of surviving and that our other kids could live as normal a life with everything that was going on.”

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Brad and Karina Haddin pose for a photo with their children Mia, Zac and Hugo during an Australian Test squad Christmas Lunch at the MCG on Christmas Day, 2014 // Getty Images

Haddin, who was part of Australia’s Ashes squad in 2005 as Adam Gilchrist’s deputy, made his Test debut in the West Indies in 2008 and has played 66 Tests, as well as 126 one-day internationals and 24 T20 internationals.

In addition to being a member of Australia’s triumphant World Cup team earlier this year he has captained his country twice in the 20-over format.

He was appointed to replace Shane Watson as vice-captain to Michael Clarke for the previous tour of England in 2013, and was deputy when Australia completed their five-nil Ashes whitewash 18 months ago when he topped his team’s batting averages and was their second-highest scorer.

But when Clarke damaged his hamstring last summer, Haddin opted not to seek the job as interim captain and instead indicated that Steve Smith – who ultimately filled in for Clarke and enhanced his credentials as the next Test captain in the process – because he was a long-term prospect.

“I had a chat to (former Test captain now Cricket Australia board member) Mark Taylor and said, 'If you're looking for the best choice, I think it's a great opportunity to put Steve Smith forward,” Haddin told Fairfax earlier this year.

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Peter Nevill at training on Tuesday // cricket.com.au

Nevill undertook a significant workload at Australia’s major pre-Test training session today, working extensively with the ‘keeping gloves and facing all the net bowlers in a lengthy batting stint.

The 29-year-old, who is Victorian by birth and made his first-class debut for the Bushrangers in 2009 before shifting to New South Wales in search of greater opportunities, played in Australia’s second warm-up match at Chelmsford ahead of last week’s first Test in Cardiff.

Ian Healy working with Brad Haddin and Peter Nevill at the Bupa National Cricket Centre ahead of a West Indies tour earlier this year

Nevill was honoured with the Steve Waugh Medal as the Blues’ best player for the 2014-15 season , having finished the season as NSW’s leading runs scorer in the Bupa Sheffield Shield with 764 runs at an average of 76.40 and a season-high 235no against Tasmania in Hobart.

In the recent match against Essex, Nevill batted with surety in Australia’s first innings to score 78 but faced a torrid match with the gloves, conceding 31 byes in Essex’s first innings as pace bowlers Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Peter Siddle had him hurling himself about like a soccer goalkeeper.

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