Matthew Wade will play as a batter-only in Australia A’s opening match in England, with Peter Handscomb set to wear the gloves.
Wade arrived in England late after staying at home for the birth of his second daughter last week, but was always going to share the gloves on the tour.
Floated as a candidate to play as a batsman in the home Test summer, Wade scored 1021 Sheffield Shield runs at 60.05 for Tasmania last season and only kept when Tim Paine wasn’t available.
The former Test wicketkeeper will now only wear the gloves in three of the five one-day matches on the England tour and none of the red-ball games when Paine arrives.
And he sees a similar role his only chance to play in this year’s Ashes.
“It’s something I am pretty comfortable with … it’s probably where I am going with my cricket,” Wade said.
“If I am lucky enough to get in the Ashes it will be in the dual role. “It (that hope) is always there.
“I’m not going to be getting selected as a first XI player, if I get an opportunity it’ll be if they want to take some extra bowling, whether they want to take two spinners.
“If they look down that road then maybe that dual role as the back-up keeper and spare batter is maybe where I fit in.”
The Australia A tour begins with a one-dayer against Northampton on Thursday, before four other 50-over games follow.
https://www.foxsports.com.au/cricke...d/news-story/ecd53882cf8cfabdf5f5d6f3076f9fa7
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