Brad Haddin won`t back down in Ashes war of words
Australia wicket-keeper Brad Haddin has insisted there will be no changes in his on-field approach despite calls for an end to `sledging` during the upcoming Ashes series against England.
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London: Australia wicket-keeper Brad Haddin has insisted there will be no changes in his on-field approach despite calls for an end to `sledging` during the upcoming Ashes series against England.
But Haddin, much criticised for the way in which he gave departing New Zealand batsmen `send-offs` during Australia`s World Cup final victory in Melbourne in March, was quick to point out that Anderson himself had not been shy of dishing out the `verbals` during previous Ashes campaigns.
"They start half of it! What about Jimmy Anderson? He has called for peace hasn`t he? He better look at himself in the mirror," said Haddin in the build-up to Australia`s four-day tour match against Essex in Chelmsford starting Wednesday.
"I have never played in an Ashes campaign where things have got out of hand, this one will be no different," said the 37-year-old Haddin, a veteran of 65 Tests.
"The tradition of the urn deserves that, to play the brand of cricket we play, and England play. We have not won (an Ashes series) here (England) for 14 years now.
"The Ashes will be played in the great spirit (they) always have (been), but it will be contested."Haddin also said thought of Australia adopting the approach of New Zealand, who have long since abandoned `sledging`, was a non-starter.
"We are not New Zealand. We won the World Cup final. We will play the way we play, which works for us, and if you like it, you like it," he said.
Meanwhile former England Ashes-winning captain Andrew Strauss urged Alastair Cook`s side not to get involved in any verbal spats on the field.
"Ultimately it`s about making sure you`re willing to stand up to the opposition, you can never take a backward step in international sport, that`s a given," Strauss, now England`s director of cricket, told BBC Radio Five.
"From my point of view and certainly in my experience with the England side, if you can play with as little emotion as possible and control that emotion then you`re going to get a slight edge on the opposition.
"Those are the sorts of discussions that England have been having over the last few days," he added with the squad having recently met new Australian coach Trevor Bayliss for the first time in a pre-Ashes training camp in Spain.
The forthcoming five-Test series will be England`s first under Bayliss, someone Haddin knows well from their time together at New South Wales and in the Big Bash League with the Sydney Sixers.
Haddin believes Bayliss will do a good job for England, just as he did while coaching Sri Lanka from 2007-2011.
"Trevor has had a massive influence on my career. It first started as captain as New South Wales, he gave me the chance to do that," said Haddin.
"He is a great person and takes a lot of the anxiety out of the changing room and gets cricketers enjoying the game, will never rant and rave, is pretty even tempered."
Haddin said he had no qualms about one of his compatriots being in charge of England.
"Trevor is a career coach, he has had some wonderful success with Sri Lanka and New South Wales, everywhere he has been.
"That is no different to players who want to test themselves at the highest level."