When Adam Gilchrist announced his retirement from international cricket, Matthew Wade was tipped to be his ideal replacement, as he had been churning out runs consistently at the domestic circuit and was also a safe wicketkeeper behind the stumps. However, his life could have been totally different had he not recovered from a deadly disease pretty early on in his career. He was diagnosed with testicular cancer and had to undergo two sessions of chemotherapy. He came back with a bang and went on to represent Australia in the U-19 World Cup in 2006. 

He was quite impressive behind the stumps and also played some crucial knocks, which eventually paved the way for his debut in List A cricket. Wade was picked to play for Tasmania during the 2006-07 Ford Ranger Cup but was part of the playing XI only once. However, he soon realised that Tim Paine was the preferred option, and he had to warm the bench on most occasions. He then decided to move to Victoria in the 2007-08 season, and within a short time, he became the first-choice wicket-keeper. 

The Tasmanian continued to impress in the Sheffield Shield and also made his presence felt in the limited-overs matches. He has always been a sensational striker of the ball, which has worked in his favour. On the back of some consistent performances, Wade finally managed to break into the Australian team for the T20I series against South Africa in late 2011. He made his ODI debut against India early next year and responded with a brilliant 67 on debut. 

The Hobart-born was picked for the Australian Test side for the tour of the West Indies as a back-up to Brad Haddin. He finally made his debut when Haddin pulled out of the tour, citing personal reasons. He made an immediate impact with the bat, scoring a brilliant 106 in the final Test. He continued to impress with the bat, scoring his second Test century against Sri Lanka. However, time and again, his wicket-keeping abilities were questioned, and he had to give up his place when Haddin returned. 

Wade never really cemented his place in the side and was in and out of the team on several occasions. When Haddin retired, Peter Neville became the preferred keeper, and Wade had to wait in the fringes. He remained part of the ODI setup for a considerable time. On the back of some poor returns, Wade was finally ousted from the ODI squad, with Alex Carey getting a nod in. He also kept wickets for Australia in the 2019 World Cup. 

Wade finally managed to break into the Test team ahead of the 2019 Ashes as a premier batter. He started the Ashes with a superb match-winning hundred at Birmingham and later ended the series with another crucial century. Still, it was not good enough as Australia suffered a huge loss at the Oval. 

On 6 December 2020, he captained Australia for the first time, leading the side in a T20I against India at the Sydney Cricket Ground after Aaron Finch was sidelined through injury. His standing within the T20 setup was further reinforced in August 2021, when he was appointed captain for Australia’s five-match T20I series against Bangladesh. Later that month, he was also named in Australia’s squad for the 2021 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.

Wade remained in demand across franchise leagues worldwide. In February 2022, he was signed by the Gujarat Titans at the IPL auction for the 2022 season. Two months later, in April 2022, he was drafted by Birmingham Phoenix for The Hundred in England. His global T20 footprint grew further in December 2022, when Karachi Kings selected him as a Platinum Category pick at the 2023 Pakistan Super League draft.

In May 2024, Wade was selected for Australia’s squad for the 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, continuing his involvement in major international tournaments late in his career. Later that year, on 29 October 2024, he formally announced his retirement from international cricket, bringing to a close a long and varied career at the highest level.

Despite stepping away from the international arena, Wade has continued to feature prominently in domestic T20 cricket and is set to represent the Hobart Hurricanes in the 2025–26 Big Bash League season.

(As of December 2025)