Embattled Australian wicket-keeper Matthew Wade has become the first Australian gloveman for 62 years to complete three stumpings in a Test match, prompting many to proclaim that he has answered critics who were sceptical of his ability to cope at the highest level after a poor first Test in Dhaka.
Coach Darren Lehmann weighed in on the debate earlier in the Test, claiming that Wade had “answered his critics” after completing a stumping in the first innings.
However, if the question asked of the Tasmanian custodian was “is Matthew Wade a Test match wicket-keeper,” it would seem that the answer he has given is a resounding negative.
To truly answer the wicket-keeping conundrum, one must look at the bigger picture. Yes, Wade completed three stumpings in the second Test, but these highlights only tell a small part of the story.
He is still leaking runs behind the stumps, following up a first Test in which he conceded thirty byes with another seventeen eluding him in Chittagong. Put simply, that is not good enough.
Wade replaced Peter Nevill after the debacle in Hobart in 2016, ostensibly because the selectors believed he was a better batsman. In the ten Test matches he has played since his recall, Wade has scored 272 runs at an average of 20.92, his top score being 57.
Nevill was averaging 22.28 at the time of his axing, and although he had failed to show the ability he has demonstrated in Sheffield Shield cricket over the years, he still managed two scores of 60 plus at important times.
Clearly, Wade cannot hang his hat on being a better option with the bat, because he has shown he is not.
Even more concerning is the fact that Wade is struggling to keep wicket. In those same ten Test matches, Wade has conceded 114 byes. That is a staggering statistic, particularly given his inconsistent glovemanship was part of the reason he was dropped previously.
At the time of his recall, selectors spoke at length about his improved work behind the stumps, but this is another claim is simply not backed by statistics.
On average, Wade concedes eleven free runs every Test match. The fact that this is considered acceptable by the Australian hierarchy is quite honestly incredible.
The man he replaced conceded 132 in 17 test matches, and while that is still far from ideal, Nevill can at least be said to have improved after a nervy start to his career. Having conceded more than ten byes in four of his first six Test matches, Nevill repeated the effort only twice more before being dropped.
Wade, on the other hand, has consistently leaked sundries behind the wicket throughout his career .
Those who support Wade’s continued selection point to his attitude and his ability to rally the team as his great strengths. That may well be true, but these people seem to have forgotten that his role is first and foremost to keep wicket, and in this role and with the bat he is simply not performing at Test level.
Test cricket is an unforgiving arena, and to be successful you must select the best players for the job.
Unfortunately, Matthew Wade continues to demonstrate that he is far from the best man for the job when it comes to his on field performances, and with a crucial Ashes series looming his time in the baggy green must surely be running out.
