Brad Haddin will have his understudy shadowing his every move in the Caribbean as selectors yesterday began the next step to phase the embattled wicketkeeper out of the Australian team.
Despite being left out of Australia's one-day squad for the start of the upcoming tri-series in favour of Victoria's Matthew Wade, Haddin remains the firm favourite to be the country's No1 gloveman for the Test tour of the West Indies.
But, depending on budgeting issues, he is set to be joined by a reserve wicketkeeper - likely to be Wade - in a move selectors say is designed to safeguard against an unforeseen injury to Haddin rather than a sign of dwindling faith in the incumbent.
''It's all a matter of injury. If you've got one wicketkeeper in the West Indies, and two days before a Test he breaks his hand and cannot keep, what do you do?'' chairman of selectors John Inverarity said yesterday.
''It would take five days to a week for somebody in Australia to be alerted, pack his bags, get a flight, fly there - the transit would probably be 48 to 60 hours - and then recover from jet lag. We've got to have two keepers there.
''I just think it's prudent... in the interests of Australian cricket. A keeper is probably the most vulnerable person to have an injury... it's pretty difficult to go into a Test without a wicketkeeper.''
Australia named only one wicketkeeper for its last tour of the Caribbean, a three-Test series in 2008, but drafted Western Australia's Luke Ronchi as back-up after the second Test due to fears over Haddin's fitness.
Haddin has officially been rested after his ''gruelling'' recent workload but will play in Friday's PM's XI game against Sri Lanka in Canberra.
Australian coach Mickey Arthur, who coached Wade at Western Australia, said it was important the understudy performed.
''I really hope he does. What it does is it breeds competition in the squad. As I've always said, nobody has a permanent place in the Australian cricket team,'' Arthur said.
''They've got to keep performing. There's no guarantee for anyone at this stage.''
Wade said he did not view the upcoming matches as an audition for a baggy green.
''If I look at it as a trial for Test cricket I'll be a bit uptight and tense,'' Wade said.
''I'm just going out there to play a role for the Australian cricket team.''
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