Adam Gilchrist backs uncapped wicketkeeper Alex Carey ahead of Ashes

Aussie great Adam Gilchrist believes that there’s going to be a three-way battle for the wicketkeeper’s choice as the first Test of the Ashes approaches. The uncapped gloveman Alex Carey is one of the choices alongside current possibilities Matthew Wade and Peter Nevill.

The first game of the tour is scheduled to take place at the Gabba in Brisbane, commencing from the 23rd of November. The 26-year-old is being considered as a bright prospect with some splendid glove skill to boast of. Gilchrist feels that Alex stands an equal chance of getting selected in the starting XI.

He’s a tidy and solid keeper

When asked if the keeper’s race was only between Wade and Nevill, ‘Gilly’ as he’s popularly known, backed Alex too for selection. “Not really, I’m hearing a big push for Carey from South Australia,” Gilchrist stated to the SEN’s The Run Home. “I’ve got declare I’ve never seen him keep. I’ve seen a couple of highlights of his and he looks brilliant.”

He further mentioned that Carey was a really good keeper based on whatever he had seen and heard about him. “All word is that is he’s a very, very tidy ‘keeper, very solid and a very solid, without being spectacular in terms of the results he’s produced, with the bat,” the legend added.

“He’s slightly younger than the others … I believe he’s a very hard worker and a top team man and a good guy to have around. I’m probably starting to think that it’s more likely that (selectors) might say ‘OK youngster, you’re in’.” Adam Gilchrist was quoted as saying by cricket.com.au.

Keepers focusing more on batting rather than keeping

None of three ‘keeping contenders were able to post a score of substance in the opening round of the Sheffield Shield over the weekend. All three also registered a Grade 1, or serious, ‘error’ while displaying their wicketkeeping skills under Cricket Australia’s new fielding analysis; Carey and Nevill both went on to drop a catch each while Wade supposedly missed a run out chance.

On the other hand, Adam Gilchrist remarked that the pressure to score runs had an adverse effect on their keeping. He continued to weigh his stance on why the wicketkeepers be judged on the basis of their glove work and not their batting performances.

“They would have been walking out in Shield cricket in these games just gone by so focused on scoring runs and probably not as focused on their ‘keeping, such is the focus on the runs,” he said.

“The drop by Nevill is clearly showing, if everyone thinks he’s the best gloveman and he’s dropping them and they’re relatively easy ones that he would normally take, they’re probably not focusing on the keeping as much as their batting,” Gilly concluded.