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Craig HillLuke Ronchi Replaces Brad Haddin
January 10th 2009 08:55
Western Australian wicketkeeper Luke Ronchi has been drafted into the Australian squad for the two Twenty20 internationals against South Africa.
Team management has decided to rest Brad Haddin, who has played nine Tests in the past three months, for the Twenty20 matches in Melbourne on Sunday and Brisbane on Tuesday.
"Brad arrived in Melbourne yesterday feeling the effects of his heavy workload over the past three months which has included consecutive Test series against India, New Zealand and South Africa," said National Selection Panel chairman Andrew Hilditch.
Haddin is expected to return to the national team for Friday's opening one-day international against South Africa at the MCG.
Michael Hussey, who did not train on Friday due to a stomach bug, trained with the squad on Saturday.
A decision on his availability will be made on Sunday when selectors finalise the XI.
The hard-hitting Ronchi said he was relieved to still be considered Haddin's understudy despite posting only modest numbers this summer in all three forms of the game for Western Australia.
"You think about it sometimes," said Ronchi, who made his international debut in the Caribbean last year but has not played for his country on home soil.
"Obviously after the West Indies I thought about it a bit and sometimes you're not performing the way you want to and you doubt yourself."
"For this to come up it's a reassuring feeling for myself and puts my mind in a good place if I know that I keep performing and doing the right thin I get another gig at some stage."
Ronchi impressed with his glovework in the Caribbean, where he played four one-dayers and a Twenty20 match, and was explosive with the bat.
He hit the equal third fastest ever half-century by an Australian in a one-day international on his way to a whirlwind 64 off 28 balls against the Windies in St Kitts.
But the 27-year-old was quick to hose down suggestions that he, like Haddin towards the end of Adam Gilchrist's career, could hold down a position purely as a batsman in the one-day side.
"There's too many good batsman around for me to get a crack. There's a lot more consistent players than me around," he said.
"I'm a keeper so that's where I'm going to get my gig. You never know if you get on tours and things something might pop up that way."
"At the moment for home series, there's a lot better batsmen around."
Team management has decided to rest Brad Haddin, who has played nine Tests in the past three months, for the Twenty20 matches in Melbourne on Sunday and Brisbane on Tuesday.
"Brad arrived in Melbourne yesterday feeling the effects of his heavy workload over the past three months which has included consecutive Test series against India, New Zealand and South Africa," said National Selection Panel chairman Andrew Hilditch.
Haddin is expected to return to the national team for Friday's opening one-day international against South Africa at the MCG.
Michael Hussey, who did not train on Friday due to a stomach bug, trained with the squad on Saturday.
A decision on his availability will be made on Sunday when selectors finalise the XI.
The hard-hitting Ronchi said he was relieved to still be considered Haddin's understudy despite posting only modest numbers this summer in all three forms of the game for Western Australia.
"You think about it sometimes," said Ronchi, who made his international debut in the Caribbean last year but has not played for his country on home soil.
"Obviously after the West Indies I thought about it a bit and sometimes you're not performing the way you want to and you doubt yourself."
"For this to come up it's a reassuring feeling for myself and puts my mind in a good place if I know that I keep performing and doing the right thin I get another gig at some stage."
Ronchi impressed with his glovework in the Caribbean, where he played four one-dayers and a Twenty20 match, and was explosive with the bat.
He hit the equal third fastest ever half-century by an Australian in a one-day international on his way to a whirlwind 64 off 28 balls against the Windies in St Kitts.
But the 27-year-old was quick to hose down suggestions that he, like Haddin towards the end of Adam Gilchrist's career, could hold down a position purely as a batsman in the one-day side.
"There's too many good batsman around for me to get a crack. There's a lot more consistent players than me around," he said.
"I'm a keeper so that's where I'm going to get my gig. You never know if you get on tours and things something might pop up that way."
"At the moment for home series, there's a lot better batsmen around."
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