Brad Haddin slams former Australian coach Mickey Arthur
Former Australian wicket-keeper batsman Brad Haddin has hit out at current Pakistan coach Mickey Arthur, who also served as coach of the Australian cricket team before getting unceremoniously sacked for Darren Lehmann.
Haddin was a stalwart of the Australian Test and ODI sides during the late 2000s and early 2010s with over 3000 runs in both the formats but he had endured a torrid period in 2012 under Arthur. In his autobiography titled ‘My Family’s Keeper’, the right-handed batsman has opened about his frosty relationship with the coach.
It all begin with Haddin taking a break during 2012 to tend to his daughter who was suffering from an illness which led to his subsequent omission from the playing XI in favour of young Tasmanian Matthew Wade.
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Upon his return to the squad, Arthur assured Haddin that he was the ‘best wicket-keeper in the country’ despite preferring to play Matthew Wade ahead of him, a point that Haddin found absolutely bizarre.
Before the tour of India, Arthur had again told Haddin he was his number one, before opting for Wade, at which point, something snapped in Haddin. It wasn’t the first instance of the same.
"I'd let it go when he said that in Adelaide but this time it was hard to cop. I said, 'Mate, you're kidding. I've had enough of this. You've just told me that I'm the best player in my position and you're not picking me for a Test match. You've got this all wrong. I'm out. Leave me alone' he wrote in his autobiography.
For Haddin, what would perturb him is the fact that this wasn’t a one-off incident. After being elevated to the position of vice-captain, he had to deal with Arthur in even closer quarters, which made it awkward for him.
Prior to a Test match against England at Trent Bridge, Arthur had told Haddin to just ‘assume he was playing’, a statement which disturbed Haddin. "I had no idea what he was trying to get at, but once again I didn't have the time or interest to figure it out. I said, 'Mate, I can't deal with this', and left him to it" he added later.
When Arthur was unceremoniously sacked, Haddin admits that he wasn’t surprised. Haddin also states that the dressing-room atmosphere on the tour to India with Mickey Arthur in charge was the worst he ever experienced as a cricketer.
Harsh words from Haddin but you have to feel for the man who is just venting his frustration at the end of a glorious career.