Nevill 'unlucky' to lose CA contract: Haddin

Former Australia wicketkeeper Brad Haddin admits he was surprised to see Peter Nevill not offered a national contract, restating his view that his fellow New South Welshman remains the country’s best gloveman.

Dropped in the wake of Australia’s fifth-consecutive Test defeat in November, Nevill was one of nine Cricket Australia contracted players from 2016-17 who missed a proposed new deal for the upcoming season, despite hitting back with three Sheffield Shield tons following his axing.

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The right-hander averaged just 22.28 with the bat in his 17-match stint in the Test side, passing 50 three times after taking over from Haddin during the 2015 Ashes.

But his strong form in Shield cricket pushed his first-class average beyond 40, including nine centuries, from 86 games, drawing level with Wade’s first-class record of nine tons (and an average of 38) from 108 first-class matches. 

His replacement Matthew Wade is the only wicketkeeper to be offered CA contract for 2017-18 (deals which are pending the outcome of pay negotiations with the Australian Cricketers' Association) and Haddin believes Nevill was unfortunate to miss out.

“I was, to be honest,” Haddin told cricket.com.au when asked if he was surprised the 31-year-old was cut.

“Since Nevill’s been left out of the Test team, I think his form has been outstanding.

“He’s got three hundreds since he was left out. I thought he maybe deserved to maybe sneak on (to the contract list). 

“He’s a competitior, Nev, he’ll be back working on his game and making sure he’s putting his name back up there for the Ashes. 

“(But) after the way he handled his dropping from the Australian team, I thought he was a little unlucky to miss out on a contract.”

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Nevill bounced back in style from his Test axing, crashing a monster 179 not out for NSW in the Sheffield Shield just days after to underscore his ability with the bat.

He then posted back-to-back tons after a KFC Big Bash League campaign in which he suffered two separate head injuries and was then overlooked for the ensuing Qantas Tour of India.

Wade, who replaced Haddin in the Test side for almost 12 months in 2012-13, now appears to be Australia’s first-choice ‘keeper in both Test and one-day cricket.

And although Haddin believes the feisty Victorian’s glovework has improved immensely, he says Nevill remains the most skilled pure wicketkeeper in the country.

“I don’t think his glovework has ever been doubted,” Haddin said of Nevill. 

“From a 'keeping point of view, he’s the number one gloveman in the country. 

“I think Matthew Wade’s keeping has come a long way over the past 12 months and I thought he did a really good job in India. 

“(But) I think Nevill’s keeping has always been first class.”

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With the fate of a planned Test tour of Bangladesh still pending and an Ashes series looming after that, Nevill’s immediate hopes of unseating Wade would appear to rest on strong showings in the early rounds of the Shield next summer. 

“I think he’s got to continue on what he’s done for NSW,” Haddin explained. 

“He keeps putting himself up there as the premier gloveman in Australia and makes sure he keeps challenging himself to keep getting better and better there. 

“And make sure he’s scoring runs under pressure. 

“That’s the one thing I was impressed with most about when he came back from the Australian team - he got a lot of runs under pressure for NSW.”