Lehmann affirms 'family first' ethos

In describing the decision to axe veteran ‘keeper Brad Haddin from the Test team as the toughest he has endured in his almost 30-year cricket life, Australia coach Darren Lehmann has shed light on the criteria that accompanies his team’s 'family first' selection policy.

Lehmann and his fellow selectors have come under criticism from within and beyond cricket circles for their call to replace Haddin as Test ‘keeper for the third Test at Edgbaston less than a fortnight after he withdrew from the second at Lord’s for family reasons.

Haddin has not spoken publicly about the circumstances surrounding his withdrawal but several of his former teammates have revealed that it was due to the hospitalisation of his four-year-old daughter Mia who, in 2012, was diagnosed with the rare childhood cancer neuroblastoma.

Lehmann has been a strong advocate for his players putting the needs of their family before their cricket obligations, often stating that "we must remember we are only playing a game of cricket".

But when Haddin was told in the wake of Australia’s thumping Test win at Lord’s that he would not be returning to the XI even though he was available for selection, commentators including former Australia greats Ricky Ponting and Shane Warne questioned the team’s commitment to 'family first'.

Lehmann confirmed today that the decision – made in concert with his selection panel chair Rod Marsh who is currently in England, as well as panel members Mark Waugh and Trevor Hohns – to replace 37-year-old Haddin with Peter Nevill was the most difficult he had made.

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Lehmann and Haddin deep in discussion at Lord's // Getty

He also denied recent reports that the move has caused friction within the Australian dressing room, most notably among senior players who have played alongside the former vice-captain over the past decade.

"No, we’re really close as a group," Lehmann said when asked if Haddin’s sacking remained a fracture point within his team.

"We’ve talked about it openly.

"Let’s make it perfectly clear that Brad has been a brilliant cricketer for Australia for a long period of time and that (his omission) would be the hardest decision I’ve had to make as a coach, or even as a player.

"Those decisions don’t come lightly for any of us – Rod (Marsh) or myself or whichever players we consult, and the skipper.

"The cold hard facts are he (Haddin) has played the last 12 Test matches and made 250 runs at 15.

"So it comes down to performance."

Lehmann also cited the glaring statistic that seemed to be at the forefront of the selectors thinking – that Haddin had been dismissed bowled in eight of his past 21 Test innings over that 12-match stretch which indicated shortcomings in the defensive component of his naturally attacking game.

His replacement batted for more than three hours for his 59 in Australia’s second innings at Edgbaston and was largely responsible for his team avoiding the humiliation of an Ashes defeat inside two days.

However, those who have taken issue with Haddin’s axing are not so much concerned by the decision to make the switch to Nevill as by the circumstances under which it took place.

Warne, Ponting, former Test 'keeper Ian Healy and ex-Australia opener Matthew Hayden have all expressed disquiet about the fact Haddin essentially stood aside in the best interests of his family only to find that decision may have effectively ended his career.

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Australia captain Michael Clarke said prior to the third Test that "from the information I had, I think they (selectors) were going to pick Brad to play in the second Test if he was available". 

However, on day one of the Edgbaston Test selection chairman Rod Marsh revealed that Haddin’s ‘keeping in the opening Test at Cardiff had not been up to scratch and that the panel had "no other option" but to continue with Nevill once both glovemen were available and vying for the role.

Watch Nevill posts his maiden Test fifty

That has led a number of former players and commentators to speculate that, if Haddin were to have his time again or other players of similarly shaky tenure find themselves in a similar situation in the future, they might be unwise to take the 'family first' option lest it costs them their place in the team.

Lehmann stood by the 'family first' mantra when questioned about the Haddin decision today, but added the philosophy did not come with an inbuilt guarantee that anyone taking family leave would have a 'reserved' notice stamped over their name on the team sheet.

"I know there’s been a big hoo-ha about 'family first', well we still have that," Lehmann said.

"We had (fast bowler) Ryan Harris missing a tour to the West Indies with no guarantee he was going to play the first Test here (in Britain) – we didn’t know he was going to retire obviously.

"David Warner missed (last year’s one-day series in) Zimbabwe for the birth of his child, no guarantees he was going to play one-day cricket (for Australia henceforth).

Quick Single: 'Amazingly hard call' to drop Haddin

"I know there’s been a very unbalanced view from a lot of people about it.

"We certainly care about Brad and his family, we had to make a decision on what we thought was the best eleven for this particular game (at Edgbaston) and Pete did a good job at Lord’s so it was very hard to change that side.

"That’s a really tough decision to make – we love Hadds, we all love Hadds, the players love Hadds.

"So everyone’s going to have different emotions with it, but that’s part of professional sport and we try and deal with it as best as we possibly can.

"(It is) comfortably the toughest decision we’ve had to make."

Since receiving the news of his demotion during last week’s three-day tour match against Derbyshire, Haddin – who, at age 37 knows he faces a long road back to the Test job unless Nevill succumbs to injury in the remaining two Tests – has cut a low profile at training and during matches.

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Haddin has worked hard to support his replacement Peter Nevill // Getty

But Lehmann quashed suggestions the former vice-captain, who announced his retirement from limited-overs cricket in the wake of Australia’s World Cup triumph earlier this year, was resentful of the treatment afforded him.

"He’s been fantastic, he’s been great," Lehmann said when asked about Haddin’s reaction.

"I can’t speak highly enough of how he’s been with Pete (Nevill) and he’s taken over the wicketkeeping coaching role as well as trying to do his own stuff, to keep ready.

"As you know, last time we were here (at Birmingham on the 2009 Ashes tour) Graham Manou played (in the Test) because Brad broke his finger, so he (Haddin) has to be ready to play just in case.

"He’s a ripper bloke, one of the best blokes I’ve ever coached.

"Brilliant person. Great family."

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