Alex Carey called it “a boyhood dream” as he won the race Thursday to be Australia’s wicketkeeper for the first two Ashes Tests against England after scandal-hit Tim Paine stepped down.
The 30-year-old Carey has played plenty of lim-ited-overs cricket for Australia and stood in as the one-day captain in the West Indies this year, but is yet to feature in a Test match.
That will change in Brisbane next week, barring any late mishaps, after he was added to the 15-man squad.
“Alex has been a regular member of the national side in white-ball cricket, particularly in the one-day game,” said chief selector George Bailey. “He is an excellent cricketer and a fine individual who will bring many great strengths into the team.