Matthew Wade reveals how he played through injury in the T20 World Cup final
Australia’s medicos kept a secret from Matthew Wade before he strode on to the pitch for the World Cup final – one that was only revealed when the Cup was won.
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Matthew Wade’s warrior status has been emboldened after the revelation the World Cup hero soldiered through Monday’s final with a nasty injury.
Wade suffered a Grade 2 side strain on the second-last ball of Sunday’s training session in Dubai and was sent for scans by Cricket Australia medicos.
But the results were kept a secret from Wade until after the final, much like AFL superstar Steven May only learning how badly he had ripped his hamstring after Melbourne’s Grand Final victory in September.
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“I was worried that if we batted first and I had to go as hard as I could that if I tore it then I wouldn’t be able to keep and that would hurt the team,” Wade said on Thursday.
“(But) in my mind they would’ve had to strap me to the bed – I was always going to go out there and play.
“I went and hit some balls before the game and tried to bluff my way through that and they made me hit a few more.”
Teammate Glenn Maxwell was unaware that Wade was injured until that warm-up, although captain Aaron Finch and the coaches were aware of Wade’s scan results.
They had no problem backing Wade in, particularly given ICC rules would’ve allowed Josh Inglis to substitute in and keep wickets if Wade aggravated the injury during the final.
“You would’ve had to cut his leg off for him not to be out there,” Finch said.
“I thought he kept brilliantly. Towards the back end I saw him in a bit of pain with a couple of dives and throws.”
Wade was relieved that he did not have to bat as Australia cruised to an eight-wicket victory against New Zealand.
The streetfighter blasted the Aussies into the final by creaming three consecutive sixes off Pakistan ace Shaheen Shah Afridi in a Carlos Brathwaite-like moment to saviour.
Wade now hopes selectors remember his name for next year’s home Twenty20 World Cup, which would mark his retirement from international cricket.
“Absolutely it would be (the end point),” Wade said.
“Once the dust settles with this one I think that’ll be my next motivation.
“To get to that World Cup and hopefully defend the title here and then I can sail off into the sunset.
“I certainly won’t be playing beyond that point. That would be my goal from here.”
Wade was also the wise head who steadied Australia’s messy run chase against South Africa in the opening match of the tournament.
The second coming of Wade at international level has seen the 33-year-old help Australia retain the Ashes urn in England in 2019 and now win a maiden T20 World Cup.
Wade has had social chats about his Test career on the golf course with chairman of selectors George Bailey and is at peace with the likelihood he won’t wear the Baggy Green again.
But he is all-in on defending the T20 crown and noted that he guessed right on the scoop-shot six that buried Pakistan.
“I thought I was going to try and stand up and hit it for six and then halfway through his run up I went to lap for some reason,” Wade said.
“Got lucky, chose the right ball and the rest is history.”
Wade wants to play on for Tasmania and Hobart Hurricanes beyond next year and declared he would be fit for the opening round of the Big Bash League.
SOUNDS OF SILENCE: SUBDUED WELCOME FOR WORLD CUP STARS
World Cup stars arrived home in Brisbane on Tuesday with Mitch Marsh set to be given the chance to display his red ball credentials for the Ashes.
Never has there been a more subdued welcome for a World Cup-winning squad than the sounds of silence that greeted the Australians as they walked through a deserted Brisbane airport en route to a 14-day quarantine on the Gold Coast.
The airport was all but shut down and nothing more than a media throng and a few security men to meet the team as they moved through customs.
A giant sign on the wall said “Welcome home. Well done. Thank you.’’
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Test, Australia A and squad members required to play in a lead-up game for the Ashes touched down in Brisbane facing a 14-day quarantine.
World Cup hero Mitchell Marsh was among the group and is set to play in the trial match then, most probably, for Australia A against the English Lions in a game which clashes with the first Test at the Gabba from December 8.
Because of the immovable presence of fellow West Australian allrounder Cameron Green, Marsh faces an imposing challenge to force his way into the Test team because he can only play with rather than instead of Green.
But there is a No 5 spot up for grabs and he must certainly be in the discussion though it would surprise if he was chosen first up in Brisbane.
The Australians will quarantine in the same Gold Coast resort where the English side is staying.
The Australians were joined on the flight home by English World Cup players including Jos Buttler, Jonny Bairstow, Chris Woakes and Mark Wood.
As Bairstow walked through a lone voice shouted “Good luck Jonny … you are going to need it.’’
The Australians are desperate to reacquaint themselves with an old friend … a red cricket ball.
Test players Steve Smith, Josh Hazlewood, David Warner, Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc have barely spotted a red ball since the last Test against India in Brisbane in January.
The Australians will have three days of hard quarantine before being allowed to train at Metricon Stadium.
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