Matthew Wade believes Sheffield Shield show shouldn't warrant a Test call-up

Wade feels players shouldn't be selected for Test cricket only on basis of Sheffield Shield show.

Matthew Wade eyeing Test recall | Getty Images

Matthew Wade has opined on Wednesday (October 31) that the Australian selectors shouldn't pick players or replace someone who's already in the team only on the basis of few good performances in the ongoing Sheffield Shield for Test cricket.

The Aussie wicket-keeper batman believes that a player should be consider for Test cricket with "something extraordinary" show instead of only couple of good innings in the First-class cricket.

His comment came after Australia Coach Justin Langer has declared that top six batting spots in the Test squad are up for grabs with their consistent collapses, and they are closely watching the ongoing Sheffield Shield for the valiant candidates and Wade – himself a contender in rich form – believes that the players have to do "something extraordinary" to break into the Test XI.

He told reporters, “If guys are doing alright at Test level you have to do something extraordinary to try and overtake those players that are already in the team. If the players in the team are already doing reasonably well and there's no-one really setting the world alight then I don't feel like anyone should leapfrog a current player that's already in the squad.”

The 30-year-old continued, “There's a lot of talk about the first couple of Shield games leading into the Test series. Yes, there are positions available but four hits shouldn't really dictate your opinion on a player. Personally, I think there is a bit of a beat-up about it. There's a certain amount of players that are a chance to get picked but people who score a couple of fifties or go alright in the first two Shield games aren't just going to be straight into the Test team. The guys who have been picked in the Test team are there for a reason – they've done well for a period of time.”

Wade signed off by saying, “Unless you're Marcus Harris getting 250 it's going to be hard to leapfrog those players. That's how it's always been. Unless you can do it over a long period of time, that's how you get picked for Australia. Matthew Renshaw (who made three and zero in his first Shield game back), a lot of pressure on him at the moment, but he's been a good player for a long period of time. It shouldn't be about four innings, in my opinion.”

(Input: cricket.com.au)

 
 

By Rashmi Nanda - 01 Nov, 2018

    Share Via