In the series against the West Indians, Alex Chey was selected Australia’s stand-in captain with Aaron Finch injured and normal vice-captain Pat Cummins, not in the squad.
Cricket Australia confirmed Tuesday that Aaron Finch was ruled out of injury, Alex Carey is to skipper Australia in the opening one-day international against the West Indies. Finch re-aggravated the injury to the right knee in the fifth Twenty20 last week against West Indies, and Cricket Australia announced that its availability for ODI 2 and 3 will be evaluated daily. All three matches will commence on Wednesday in Barbados. Carey, 29, will become the 26th ODI captain in Australia and will take the lead in the lack of regular Vice-capt. Pat Cummins, who will join a number of top players like Steve Smith and David Warner on the trip in the West Indians.
“When Aaron returns I’m honored to lead the team,” stated Carey, the former Captain of Australia A, Adelaide Striker, and South Australia.
“Captain Australia is one of the greatest athletic honors and a tribute to which I am very grateful. Finchy is our captain and when he’s totally ready we welcome him back with our open arms, so I hope I can now fulfill his exceptionally high standard of performance.”
Australia lost the Twenty20 series against the West Indies 4-1 and Careys will be leading an inexperienced ODI team with a number of stars missing in the mix of Josh Philippe, Ben McDermott, and Riley Meredith.
Carey’s potential for leadership was recognized at an early age but not in cricket.
A superb Australian junior soccer player, he was the first official skipper of the newest side in the Australian Football League, the Greater Western Sydney Giants, while he was still just a part of the Victoria Under-18 league.
When he was later told he had been cut off owing to an inadequate pace, he moved his concentration to cricket and had made his debut in two years for South Australia.
From his debut against England in 2018, the left hand has been a pillar of the Australian ODI squad and is considered as a powerful contender to take the gloves from Tim Paine when the test keeper retires.
