South Australia cricket coach Jason Gillespie has backed wicketkeeper Alex Carey to take the gloves for Australia in the first Ashes Test next week.
Carey, 30, has long been viewed as Tim Paine’s successor, and with the Tasmanian stepping away from the game following his sexting scandal, Gillespie thinks now is the ideal time for the South Australian to take the next step.
Coming off a blistering century in the Marsh Cup against Queensland on Sunday, Gillespie says Carey “ticks a lot of boxes” for Australian selectors as they go through their options.
“I can’t speak for the Australian selectors and what their criteria is, but Alex Carey ticks a lot of boxes,” Gillespie said on SEN SA Breakfast.
“He’s got international experience, he’s got experience around the world, he’s captained Australia, he’s performed very strongly in other formats of the game and he’s been in and around that Australian set up for a while now.”
Gillespie compared Carey to his former Australian teammate Adam Gilchrist who had one of the best careers in cricket history despite debuting in the longer format at a mature age.
“For me, there’s a lot of synergy between when Adam Gilchrist was first selected just shy of his 29th birthday and when he was in and around the One Day set-up for years and Alex Carey now who’s just turned 30, he’s in the prime of his career,” Gillespie said.
“I say get him in, he’s ready to go, his game is in great order, and he will do a fine job for Australia if given the opportunity.”
Carey is set to come up against West Australian Josh Inglis as selectors mull their options as Australia’s wicketkeeper for the series.
It’s believed Carey is the front-runner ahead of the more inexperienced Inglis.