Alex Craey says, lots of T20 cricket left in me, as he gears up for Boxing Day Test

Melbourne, Dec 23 (IANS) Australian wicketkeeper Alex Carey believes there is a lot of T20 cricket still left in him as he relives a tremendous 2023 season that has steeled him to further his fortunes in all formats of the game.

A year after his triumphant maiden Test century against South Africa at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), the 32-year-old found himself entrenched in Australia's world-leading Test team, gearing up for the upcoming clash against Pakistan on December 26.

However, fate had dealt Carey a dual hand, sidelining him from short-form cricket. The pain of being dropped from the Australian squad during the ODI World Cup still lingered.

His dream of contributing to the team's success in India was shattered after just one game into the tournament. Yet, despite the setback, Carey remained resolute, determined to reclaim his spot in the white-ball squad, with the T20 World Cup looming large in 2024.

“One hundred percent. I still feel like I’ve had some pretty solid performances in the last 12 months in one-day cricket,” Carey told Fox Sports on Saturday.

“Obviously, the timing of a leaner trot led to that decision from the selection panel. But absolutely, I feel like I’ve got a lot of good one-day cricket (and) lots of T20 cricket left in me.”

In the face of criticism, notably from English cricketers and pundits over a contentious run-out, Carey found resilience and introspection. The challenging year became a crucible, forcing him to scrutinise not just his cricketing skills but also his character.

"Any time there are parts of your life to learn from and situations that go against what you like, you see it as an opportunity to grow and learn as a person," he mused.

“You go out and put a smile on your face and realise … we’re still doing a pretty amazing job for our country. It’s a dream. I’m really excited for this week. I was pretty excited last week to get back out there and play with the ‘Baggy Green’ on, but any setbacks, I try to use them in my favour to learn, to grow, to get better,” he added.

The 32-year-old, who celebrated his 100th dismissal in Test cricket against Pakistan in Perth, conceded that being dropped during the World Cup was a bitter pill to swallow.

Yet, he lauded the honesty of Australian coach Andrew McDonald and selector George Bailey in providing constructive feedback.

As Carey prepared for the Boxing Day Test, he emphasized his desire to play more T20 cricket in the upcoming year. His recent form, including a crucial 81 in the Sheffield Shield, hinted at a resurgence with the bat.

“It never makes it easy to hear (that) you’re going to be left out,” he said. (But) you get time to reflect and then sit down and speak to every one of them to find out…the reasons. And then all you can do is work on trying to improve in certain areas.”

“You want to be able to have a panel who can have those honest conversations. You don’t want to be going to bed at night wondering why and I didn’t, so … although you still don’t like to hear it, you’re able to talk through it and move on and help the team win the World Cup.”

Australia, riding on a wave of success, aimed to continue their dominance over Pakistan at the MCG. The team, led by veterans like David Warner and Nathan Lyon, embraced the journey, dismissing any notion of an 'end goal.' For Carey and his teammates, it was an ongoing adventure, a season filled with challenges and victories.

On the other side, Pakistan, already dealing with the loss of Khurram Shahzad due to a stress fracture, faced another setback as spinner Noman Ali underwent an emergency appendix removal. As both teams navigated their challenges, the stage was set for an enthralling contest at the MCG, where Carey aimed to further fortify his place in the Australian cricketing saga.

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