Haddin said he'd gobbed off because the New Zealanders were too "nice". For any normal human being, that makes no sense. Most people, upon detecting a degree of decency, respond similarly. Except for bullies — bit of a Freudian slip there.
Haddin made his comments after a skinful. Look at the rest of what he had to say after his "nice" comment. "I'll paint a picture for you now. I've got a coach who's spooning the World Cup who can't speak. I've got James Faulkner who's got his clothes off but don't tell everyone. And I've got the Marsh boys, and you know I can't even talk about the Marsh boys because you know what trouble they have. I've got Josh Hazlewood ... he's never been drunk in 30 years. It's a problem. We just can't get him drunk. He's an absolute nightmare to drink with."
This after a booze-related post-match TV interview by Shane Warne — the greatest bowler these eyes have ever seen but also Lord High Chief Bogan of the Universe. He asked Haddin: "Are you feeling thirsty?" before asking others: "So what's the plan — besides lots of drink and that. How long is that going to last. Just one night, two nights?" Haddin responded by offering to have a drink with everyone at the MCG. Wish you had, Brad. We'd have come to visit you in intensive care.
Vettori's send-off was the worst example — although many may have forgotten these two have history. Back in 2009, during the Chappell-Hadlee series, Vettori criticised Haddin for allowing the dismissal of New Zealand batsman Neil Broom.
Replays suggested Haddin had removed the bails with his gloves and that Broom was not out — but the dismissal stood (in the days before the review system). Haddin maintained the ball had hit the stumps first; the clip is still there on YouTube — judge for yourself. Haddin said Vettori had been "low" in going to the media and not fronting him. What's lower? A wrongful dismissal or public discussion of same?
In the end, sportsmen like Haddin dig their own graves. Even if he wasn't busy perpetuating the image of the beer-swilling, loud-mouthed Aussie yob, his record and reputation will never rise above that of the man who kept him out of the team for so long — Adam Gilchrist, who was notable because he was a 'walker' (removing himself from the crease when out, even if the umpire hadn't signalled so).
'Gilly' was generally as honest as the day, a principled man and highly adept keeper and punishing batsman. In international cricket, he rates second in dismissals as a wicketkeeper only to Mark Boucher (South Africa) in tests and Kumar Sangakkara (Sri Lanka) in one-dayers.
Haddin will go down as a largely competent keeper, a clean-hitting batsman and as a sledger with a PhD from the University of Crass.
However, if you needed further proof, not all Australians are like the mocking Haddin. It comes in the words of ABC cricket commentator Jim Maxwell, who said: "New Zealanders need to take heart from the fact they've probably introduced the game of cricket to those who couldn't have been bothered with it in a bigger way than the World Cup has ever done on a comparative basis in one country."
Ain't that the truth?
The World Cup provoked huge interest in cricket here — and elsewhere — because of McCullum's attacking style and belief that New Zealand would prosper with a style and game plan they could call their own. They generated so much enthusiasm the team are now talking about perpetuating that style, raising the question of how they will keep the top order attacking when/if McCullum steps down.
Yes, the Australians won, which is probably all some Ockers need to defend the send-offs, thus revealing why such a large slice of the sporting world dislikes them so much. World-class but no class.
