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Well-drilled in keeping self-sufficient

Back-up gloveman Nevill set to spend 12 weeks preparing to be ready at a moment's notice

Of all the major disciplines in cricket, none is more time consuming, more solitary or more repetitive than wicketkeeping.

Australian cricketers in the late 1980s and 1990s tell tales of being driven to madness by the 'tonk, tonk, tonk' of Ian Healy bouncing a golf ball into the concrete walls of their hotel's underground carpark every evening in an effort to sharpen his reflexes.

It's a method that Australia's current wicketkeeper Brad Haddin employed at the end of training in Antigua on Saturday; having already completed a full session, the 37-year-old spent 15 minutes bouncing a golf ball off the wall just outside the players' entrance to the ground, moving his feet from side-to-side to ensure the footwork that is so valuable to his art remains part of his muscle memory.

Ian Healy with the current Aussie keepers in Brisbane

Haddin's deputy on this tour, 29-year-old Peter Nevill, says being self-sufficient is simply a part of being a wicketkeeper.

And as a reserve 'keeper on back-to-back tours that will encompass seven Tests in 12 weeks, Nevill can expect plenty of individual training sessions during his time on the road this winter.

Like he did last summer when, unused by the Melbourne Renegades during BBL|04, he spent several hours facing the bowling machine in the MCG nets and maintaining his fitness to ensure he hit the ground running when the Shield season re-commenced in February.

And hit the ground running he did, peeling off scores of 235 not out, 22, 59, 112, 0, 39 and 48 after the mid-season break to average 76 for the summer and book his ticket for these tours of the Caribbean and the UK.

With Haddin entrenched as Australia's No.7, Nevill is unlikely to get a taste of Test action over the coming months unless injury or a significant drop in form befalls his older squad mate.

But as was demonstrated in the third Test on the 2009 Ashes tour when Graham Manou was rushed into the side after Haddin broke a finger during the pre-match warm-up, Nevill needs to be ready at a moment's notice.

"As a wicketkeeper you learn to be pretty self-sufficient. I was used to it," Nevill said of his individual sessions during the BBL.

"I need to prepare to play. Should Brad Haddin get injured, I'm playing. So that's in the forefront of my mind.

"I will just do all the things I would usually do leading into a match. Nothing really changes."

Haddin's experience and ability with bat and gloves will be invaluable during this series against the West Indies as well as in the highly-anticipated Ashes campaign that is little more than six weeks away.

But with the veteran already retired from one-day international cricket, the plan to introduce his successor in the Test arena is closer to being implemented than ever before.

Nevill's selection for the winter tours would indicate that he has the inside running, but 12-Test player Matthew Wade and highly-rated Western Australian Sam Whiteman also have strong claims to take over from Haddin when he eventually calls time on an impressive international career that is now into its 14th year.

And like all good wicketkeepers – who pride themselves on an ability to remain focused on the ball and not the swinging blade of the batsman – Nevill is blocking out all distractions on this tour, such as any questions about his chances of becoming Haddin's full-time replacement.

"Throughout my whole career I've made sure I wasn't concerning myself with the ‘ifs’," he said.

"I've been able to maintain my focus on what's been directly in front of me the whole of the last Shield season and that's stood me in good stead and eventually I got picked for this (tour).

"I'm not looking any further than just preparing well for this warm-up game against the President's XI (starting on Wednesday in Antigua)."

Nevill's role in the practice match this week will be slightly different than normal; captain Michael Clarke confirmed on Saturday that Nevill will bat at No.7, one position below Haddin, and spend time in the outfield while Haddin takes the gloves.

Fielding without the gloves is something Nevill is at ease with, having done it numerous times before when he and Haddin have been in the same side for both NSW Blues and their Sydney club side Eastern Suburbs.

But while Nevill is comfortable in the outfield, there's one position on the ground he'd like to avoid.

"I'm happy to be playing. I've done this before at Shield level, been in the field and Brad keeping," he said.

"I'm going to try and do my best for the team, make some runs with the bat and hopefully not get filled in at short leg."