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'Amazingly hard call': Rod Marsh

Contentious 'keeper call for third Test stirs debate among Australian legends

National selector Rod Marsh insists he and fellow selector Darren Lehmann “didn’t have an option” but to stick with Peter Nevill over veteran Brad Haddin as Australia’s wicketkeeper for the third Ashes Test.

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Haddin withdrew from the second Test citing family reasons, which was later confirmed as being in relation to his daughter’s illness, opening the door for Nevill to receive his first opportunity in Baggy Green.

The 29-year-old performed commendably, taking seven catches and scoring a polished 45 in Australia’s thumping win.

Haddin then declared himself available for last week’s tour match against Derbyshire, however he was selected as a batsman only – a decision that foreshadowed his non-selection at Edgbaston.

“He’s a fantastic player with a fantastic attitude but he’s averaging 15 in his last 12 Test matches,” explained Marsh, who is on the on-duty selector together with coach Lehmann.

“We needed runs down there, he didn’t keep well – and he’ll admit that – at Cardiff and the new boy did very, very well at Lord’s, so in my way of thinking, we didn’t have an option.”

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As former head of what was then the National Cricket Academy, Marsh has a lengthy history with Haddin, who has played 66 Tests since debuting in 2008 following the retirement of Adam Gilchrist.

“(It was an) amazingly hard call, but we have to try and do the best thing for the country and the selection panel believe that was the best thing for the team, for the country,” he added.

“I’ve known Brad for a hell of a long time. I had Brad at the academy back in Adelaide at the turn of the century, even before that … but we decided that Nevill had such a good game at Lord’s, the team played that well, won by 405 runs.

“(It’s) very hard to change a winning side.”

Despite Haddin’s recent poor record with the bat and a costly dropped catch in the Ashes opener at Cardiff, the decision has drawn criticism from Australia Test legends Ian Healy, Ricky Ponting, Matthew Hayden and Shane Warne.

“He made the only and right decision to be with his daughter Mia who was very ill in hospital and missed that match," Ponting said.

"I know it would have been a hard call for him, he has been a single-minded and determined servant of Australian cricket, but he rightfully put his family first and has paid the price for it.”

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Hayden decried the decision as “outrageous” while Healy suggested he would have given him a chance to “redeem his Cardiff performance and then maybe at the end of the series – or when he doesn't redeem himself – then we can move to Nevill”.

In commentary during the opening session of the third Test, Warne elaborated on his above tweet. 

"I’m pretty disappointed that Brad Haddin’s not playing in this match," he said. "The Australian culture at the moment has been family come first, and Brad Haddin obviously had a bit of a scare … and pulled out for family reasons in the second Test match, and then gets dropped for the third Test match – I don’t actually agree with that.

"I think Brad Haddin deserved to play in this game; he would’ve played at Lord’s if he didn’t pull out for family reasons.

"I don’t think that’s right. If you’re going to have that ethos in the Australian cricket team that family comes first, and you’ve got a real issue with your family and decide to miss a Test match because of family reasons, to then get left out of the next Test match and (selectors) go with Nevill, I don’t think is correct.

"I don’t think that’s the right process. I think he deserved this Test match. If he didn’t perform this Test match, we’re very, very lucky Australia that you’ve got a good replacement in Nevill who looked tidy behind the stumps and busy with the bat (at Lord’s) but I just don’t agree that Brad Haddin should have been left out of this match."

England have dimissed Australia for 136 on day one of the third Test at Edgbaston, with James Anderson taking six wickets (Australia only)

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