Matthew Wade

Matthew Scott Wade is an Australian international cricketer who is the interim captain of the Australian cricket team in Twenty20 International cricket. He plays domestic cricket for the Tasmanian cricket team, who he also captains, and for Hobart Hurricanes.

In December 2020, Wade captained Australia for the first time in international cricket. On 15 March 2024, he announced his retirement from red ball cricket after the final match of 2023 – 24 Sheffield Shield season.

Early life

He is the son of Scott Wade, an Australian rules footballer who played for Hawthorn in the Victorian Football League (VFL), for Clarence and Hobart in the Tasmanian Football League (TFL), and served a long tenure as CEO of AFL Tasmania. His grandfather, Michael Wade, served as president of the Hobart Football Club. Wade is the cousin of Collingwood Football Club defender Jeremy Howe.

Wade represented Tasmania in junior cricket and junior football, vice – captaining the Tassie Mariners in the TAC Cup, where he played alongside future Australian Football League players Sam Lonergan, Grant Birchall and Jack Riewoldt. He represented Australia at the 2006 ICC Under – 19 Cricket World Cup.

At the age of 16, he was diagnosed with testicular cancer, and received two rounds of chemotherapy before he was cleared of the disease.

Wade is colour blind. He has suffered difficulties on the field due to the colours of certain cricket balls.

Domestic Career:

• List A match debut: for the Tasmania Tigers in the 2006 – 07 Ford Ranger One Day Cup season
• It was his only match for Tasmania in any form of the game in his first spell with the state side.
• Wade moved to Victoria in the 2007 – 08 season, and within two years had established himself as the state’s first choice wicketkeeper ahead of incumbent Adam Crosthwaite.
• Wade scored his maiden first – class century in the 2008 – 09 season.
  He made an important contribution to Victoria’s win in the 2009 – 10 Sheffield Shield final against Queensland, when he came out to bat with the team at 5/60 and scored 96 runs. Victoria won the match by 457 runs and Wade was named man of the match.
• in February 2015, scored 152 for Victoria in the Sheffield Shield, his highest first – class score to date.
• Mid – way through the 2018/19 season, Wade was appointed captain of the Tasmanian team and the Hurricanes after a decision by Cricket Tasmania to remove George Bailey to focus on his batting performance.

Indian Premier League (IPL) T20 Franchise Career:

• In January 2011, Wade signed with the Delhi Daredevils, going on to play three times for Delhi in the 2011 Indian Premier League.
• In February 2022, he was bought by the Gujarat Titans in the auction for the 2022 Indian Premier League tournament.
• In April 2022, he was bought by the Birmingham Phoenix for the 2022 season of The Hundred in England.
• In December 2022, Wade was drafted by the Karachi Kings as their Platinum Category round pick at the 2023 PSL draft.

International Career:

• Following his success in domestic limited overs cricket, Wade was called up to the Australian team for the first time in October 2011, for a Twenty20 International against South Africa.
• In February 2012, he made his international breakthrough as a T20I player against India in Sydney, opening the batting and scoring 72 runs from 43 balls to earn the Man of the Match award.
• Following that T20I series, Wade was called up to the Australian One Day International team for the 2011 – 12 Commonwealth Bank Series. He won the Man of the Match award on debut, scoring 67 runs off 69 balls against India at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. During the series, he cemented his place as Australia’s first choice limited overs wicket – keeper, and usually opened the batting.
• Wade was part of the Australian team for the 2011 – 12 tour of the West Indies as the limited overs wicketkeeper.
• Test debut: on 7 April against the West Indies at Barbados, and scored his maiden Test century (106) in the third Test in Roseau
• He scored his second Test century in the third Test against Sri Lanka in Sydney.
• On 27 January 2017, he was named as ODI captain of Australia in injured Steve Smith’s place for their series against New Zealand.
• On 6 December 2020, Wade captained Australia for the first time, leading the side in a T20I match against India at the SCG after Aaron Finch was ruled out due to injury.
• In August 2021, he was named captain for Australia’s five – match T20I series against Bangladesh.

Major Achievements:

• He made an important contribution to Victoria’s win in the 2009 – 10 Sheffield Shield final against Queensland, when he came out to bat with the team at 5/60 and scored 96 runs. Victoria won the match by 457 runs and Wade was named man of the match.
• In February 2015, scored 152 for Victoria in the Sheffield Shield, his highest first – class score to date.
• In February 2012, he made his international breakthrough as a T20I player against India in Sydney, opening the batting and scoring 72 runs from 43 balls to earn the Man of the Match award.
• Following that T20I series, Wade was called up to the Australian One Day International team for the 2011 – 12 Commonwealth Bank Series. He won the Man of the Match award on debut, scoring 67 runs off 69 balls against India at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. During the series, he cemented his place as Australia’s first choice limited overs wicket – keeper, and usually opened the batting.
• On 27 January 2017, he was named as ODI captain of Australia in injured Steve Smith’s place for their series against New Zealand.
• On 6 December 2020, Wade captained Australia for the first time, leading the side in a T20I match against India at the SCG after Aaron Finch was ruled out due to injury.
• In August 2021, he was named captain for Australia’s five – match T20I series against Bangladesh.