Injured Australia captain Michael Clarke has claimed that he hopes out of form veterans Brad Haddin, Shane Watson and Chris Rogers are on the plane to England for next year's Ashes series.
Clarke said that Haddin, Watson and Rogers bring so much more to the table than just their batting.
The right-handed batsman, whose recovery from the torn hamstring is progressing as expected, wrote in his column for the Daily Telegraph that Haddin might not have made a big impression in the runs column over the past couple of Tests but added that the wicketkeeper-batsman has been flawless with the gloves, taking nine catches at the Gabba and three catches and a stumping in Adelaide.
And Clarke further stated that they should also not forget Haddin's contributions with the bat last summer. He added that the Ashes series might have played out quite differently without Haddin's valuable runs down the order.
Clarke claimed that Watson, too, hasn't had the batting success he'd have hoped for this series despite a couple of promising starts. But he added that Watson bowled some crucial overs in Brisbane, claiming the wicket of Rohit Sharma, and has caught well in the slips.
Clarke stated that Watson brings tremendous balance to the team and, from what the boys are telling him, the all-rounder is absolutely creaming them in the nets. He added that he is predicting a big score from Watson in the Boxing Day Test.
And then Clarke added that there was plenty said about Rogers' place at the top of the order entering the last Test, adding that the batsman responded with a pair of half centuries that showed his class and experience.
Clarke claimed that it's crucial to have experienced guys like these in a team when one is bringing through youngsters like Joe Burns so that they may benefit from the veterans' experience on the field as he did.