Australia's Alex Carey hopes for future in Test cricket

Melbourne: Alex Carey is content being Australia’s preferred white-ball wicketkeeper but hopes to be “good enough” one day to break into the Test squad.

Former wicket-keeping great Adam Gilchrist is among those impressed by Carey’s neat work behind the stumps and fluent batting in front.

Gilchrist felt Carey was “nipping at the heels” of Test captain Tim Paine though the 28-year-old is not in a hurry to achieve his Test dreams.

“If I play for Australia just with the white ball, I’m a very happy man,” Carey said in a video interview on Thursday.

“It’s been a really enjoyable couple of seasons playing for Australia in T20 and one-dayers.

“I hopefully will continue to learn and be good enough one day to earn a Test cap. But there’s a lot to do between now and then and if it does happen.”

His limited-overs duty has somewhat restricted his first class experience and Carey said shifting from one format to another was not easy.

“I’m learning about my game every time I go out and play cricket, whether it’s white ball or the red ball,” he said.

 

“With limited (red-ball) opportunity, it’s been probably a little bit difficult...but that’s the way it is now.”

 

Carey is cooling his heels at home when he should have been playing in the Indian Premier League, which has been indefinitely postponed following the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

The crisis has halted professional cricket across countries and many favour playing in empty stadiums to give action-starved fans something to watch on television.

 

Carey reckoned it would not be a totally unfamiliar experience for any sportsperson.

“We played a lot of our cricket, before making it to the international level, without spectators or very few spectators,” he said.

 

“It’s just great to see the big roars and the crowd erupt... but again, if it has to be the way then I’m sure fans around the world would like to sit down in front of the TV and watch cricket or any other sport.”