All-rounder Shane Watson has expressed sympathy for besieged wicket-keeper Brad Haddin, claiming selectors have left the gloveman in 'limbo' as the confusion over whether the veteran has been rested or dropped continues.
Haddin has been omitted from Australia's first five one-day internationals in the current tri series against India and Sri Lanka, with young-gun Matthew Wade preferred behind the stumps.
The official explanation offered by chairman of selectors John Inverarity is that Haddin is being rested due to his heavy workload, but the 34-year-old claimed he's been dropped in a paid radio interview last week.
"I actually feel really sorry for Brad at the moment, he's been left in a bit of limbo unfortunately," Watson, who will make his first-class return for NSW against Western Australia on Friday, said at Sydney Airport.
"He doesn't know which way he's going and whether he's being rested or dropped so I really do feel sorry for him."
"I think someone who's played an important role over the last five years in all forms of the game for Australia definitely deserves to be told either way what his future holds, because I know if I was in that same position I'd be pretty disappointed if you're sort of just being left in limbo a bit."
Asked if Haddin, who will also turn out for NSW this week, still deserves his spot in the Australian team, Watson suggested the uncertainty over his future has contributed to the gloveman's recent form slump.
"Look I think Brad's a very talented player, as we've been able to see, when it is his day he does take a game away from a team," Watson said.
"There's no doubt he hasn't scored the runs he would have liked but you're not always scoring the runs you'd like unless you're getting 300 or 200 I suppose ... but there's no doubt I still think he's got a fair bit of cricket left in him."
"He's a very talented cricketer and he's still very fit and very hungry so I think maybe this mental burden that's been there with not knowing either way has maybe taking its toll a little bit."
Meanwhile, Watson backed the selectors' decision to hand Ricky Ponting the captaincy reigns for Friday's ODI against Sri Lanka at the SCG, with Michael Clarke to miss the match with a hamstring injury.
"I'm not surprised because Ricky Ponting's had an amazing amount of success and experience as captain," he said when asked if he thought vice-captain David Warner would have been a better option.
"In regards to the vice-captaincy, that obviously makes it a little bit interesting there's no doubt about that, with Dave Warner being vice-captain."
"But for experience there's no doubt that Ricky is the man for that and I think it'll be nice for Ricky to be able to have the captaincy and not have the experience of what he had the last few games that he was the official Australian captain, so he'll probably be excited to be able to do it but probably just enjoy taking another back seat and continue to play the way he is."