Ex-Australian wicketkeeper Brad Haddin joins national side as fielding coach till the end of 2019

Sydney: Former Test wicketkeeper Brad Haddin has joined the Australian team support staff as fielding coach until the end of 2019, Cricket Australia said Thursday. [caption id=“attachment_3094296” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Australia’s Brad Haddin. AFP[/caption] Haddin replaces former Australia batsman Greg Blewett, who has taken up a position with the South Australian Cricket Association. Haddin, 39, has coached the Australia A side and was an assistant coach during Australia’s tour of New Zealand earlier this year. He also had a stint with Islamabad in the Pakistan Premier League. His first assignment will be Australia’s two-Test tour to Bangladesh later this month. “I grew up in an era of players like Andrew Symonds and Ricky Ponting who gave Australian cricket a real identity in the standards of world-class fielding,” Haddin said in a statement. “I want to hold this group accountable to that kind of standard and I believe we have the talent to do that and I am looking forward to the challenge.” Haddin played 66 Tests, taking 262 catches, and playing 126 one-day internationals, and 34 T20 Internationals for Australia before retiring in 2015.