Ashes can still be drawn: Australian wicketkeeper Brad Haddin
Australian wicketkeeper Brad Haddin admitted on Saturday that the Aussies have been out-of-sorts in the ongoing Ashes series. He believes their recent below par performances will still remain unacceptable regardless of any favourable result in the Ashes'
finale, which begins in Sydney on Monday, 3rd January 2011.
"I do not think we can really draw a line on performances this summer,” said Haddin who has been appointed Australia's vice-captain for the Sydney Test after Michael Clarke replaced injured Ricky Ponting as stand-in captain until the latter returns after
recovery. “We are disappointed with the way we have performed in the series and we cannot shy away from that. Our results have not been acceptable for us and for the people watching,” he added.
When asked whether a result in Australia’s favour in the Sydney Test will make for the Ashes loss, Haddin promptly responded, "No it does not".
Australia is trailing behind in the five-match Ashes series by 2-1 with a game still to go. They have already lost the Ashes' urn but the dejected Aussies will have a last chance to redeem a bit of lost pride by squaring the series with a victory at Sydney
Cricket Ground.
It is http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746’s first Ashes defeat on its own soil in 24 years. Their last Ashes loss in Australia had come in 1986-87 Ashes. The loss has made Ponting the first Australian captain in more than a century to lose three Ashes series as skipper.
Haddin, though adamant that a victory in Sydney will not redeem the Ashes loss, urged his side to try their absolute best to recover from the past performances and level the series with a victory in the fifth and the final Ashes Test.
“...you have got to get over it pretty quick,” said the 33-year-old wicketkeeper batsman. “We have got a couple of days to regroup and get our heads back in line for the Sydney Test match. The bottom line is we have lost the Ashes but we can still draw the
series."
The new Aussie vice-captain also backed his New South Wales' teammate Michael http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Clarke-c51120 as the Aussie captain in the absence of Ricky Ponting calling him “best man for the job” in Ponting’s absence. Haddin further added that Clarke has a good ‘cricket brain’
and was confident that he will do a good job.
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