Preparing to nail down a middle-to-lower order role: Wade

Australian wicketkeeper-batter Matthew Wade is preparing himself to bat in the middle or lower-order in the forthcoming T20 World Cup in the UAE and Oman. The 33-year-old also revealed that the team management hasn’t really told him about the role he will be playing in the showpiece event, which will commence in a week.

Wade hasn’t played any competitive cricket since he led Australia in Bangladesh in early August. The left-hander batted at No. 5 in the first two encounters before moving up the order. Australia were thrashed 1-4.

"I am preparing more to nail down a middle-order to lower-order role at the moment. Obviously with Davey (Warner) coming back and Aaron didn't play the last series so when I've opened the batting it's been when one of those guys have been missing. It's no secret that they're the best two opening batters that Australia have ever had so those two are going to go up the top. Just reading the between the lines with the way that Mitch Marsh played last series he'll probably slot in at the top of the order. 

"I suppose my role at the top of the order maybe if we want to go a little bit harder and if they want a left-hander, maybe I'll go in then, but apart from that, I'll see myself settle in probably in the middle-to-lower order.

"I haven't had extensive conversations with Finchy and JL (coach Justin Langer) and Bails (selector George Bailey) about this yet but I've been around long enough to know where I probably sit within the team and that's why my training has been tailored towards getting used to that lower order.,I've known for a long period of time that they want me to be versatile in the position that I can play and that's what I'll do."

Australia also have Josh Inglis, who is yet to make his international debut, in their World Cup squad. However, if Australia opt to play Inglis ahead of Wade, they would only have one left-hander in their top-seven.

"They'll make a decision at the start of the tournament and that player will play the tournament I would have thought. I played the last series and I'm confident that I'll play this series. We'll wait and see. But I don't think it will be a horses for courses type thing."

Batting in the middle-order, Wade doesn't really have a great record but is confident that his experience will help him to adjust and play the role his team wants him to. The batter feels he has enough power to dictate terms in death overs.

"We're not sure if we're reusing those (IPL) pitches or if they've got new pitches for us so the first week in our prep is going to be really judging what the conditions are going to be like and then obviously that dictates how we'll go about at the end.

"There's plenty of ways to get it done at the back end. A lot of guys have power. I feel like I've got the power if I need to find boundaries but obviously, if conditions are going to be hard work, then it's going to be, you know like a Mike Hussey type role. You've got to try and hit it over those box men (midwicket and cover) and run as hard as you can."