Haddin's remarkable return puts Australia's troubles in perspective - Sydney Morning Herald

Safe hands: Brad Haddin playing for the Blues. Photo: Getty Images

As Brad Haddin prepared to resume his Test career in Mohali on Thursday, his daughter Mia was in the Children's Hospital at Westmead. The hospital has become a second home for the Haddin family since Mia's cancer diagnosis caused the wicketkeeper to rush home from the Caribbean last March.

Set against the tale of four Test players who didn't get around to completing a task about how they, and the team, could improve, Haddin's effort to get back to the Test team is a remarkable example of professionalism in incredibly difficult circumstances. In the year since Haddin returned from the West Indies, Mia, now two, has endured extensive treatment. In that time, Haddin and his wife Karina have celebrated the birth of their third child Hugo and, with the help of grandparents, found a way to keep life as normal as possible for their oldest son, Zac, who has just started kindergarten.

Through it all, Haddin has been stoic. A century at Bankstown Oval in September was made after a night in hospital with Mia.

He accepted Matthew Wade's selection for the home summer with grace. But while many assumed generational change behind the stumps spelt the end of Haddin's international career, the 35-year-old did not. He had already decided if he was going to continue playing, he would do so with the same commitment to routine and training he'd always had.

He is the second-highest NSW run scorer in first-class cricket this summer, with 468 runs at 52. With an average of 42 in the domestic one-day competition, he is a leading contender for the Steve Waugh medal presented to the Blues' outstanding player each season. He also captained the Sydney Sixers to the Champions League title.

''I don't think anyone, unless they have been in that situation, can understand exactly what is going on, but it's one hell of an effort,'' said Trevor Bayliss, coach of the Sixers and a former NSW coach. ''He's gone about things on the training paddock, and playing, as he has always done.''

Haddin was in transit to India to cover for Wade when news broke that the ''Mohali Four'' had been banned from selection for the third Test. The selectors have indicated that Haddin is a likely Ashes tourist, alongside Wade, and that his experience and toughness will be in demand in the absence of Ricky Ponting and Mike Hussey.

For now, he wants to help Australia salvage some respect.

''I have enjoyed my season so far at home but the beauty of Test cricket is this is where you want to test yourself, playing in foreign countries,'' Haddin said as rain delayed the start of play in Mohali. ''It's good to be back on this stage again and test myself out in the middle on some challenging wickets.''