Carey to make up for lost time in T20

T20 vice-captain Alex Carey has been a frustrated spectator for much of Australia’s tour of England, but the strokeplayer is ready to make up for lost time in tomorrow’s Twenty20 match at Edgbaston.

With Test and one-day skipper Tim Paine donning the gloves in the 5-0 loss to England, Carey did not appear until the final two matches as a replacement for the injured Glenn Maxwell.

Paine, Michael Neser and Nathan Lyon have flown home on Monday with Nic Maddinson and Jack Wildermuth called into the squad, leaving Aaron Finch as captain with Carey as his deputy.

The South Australian was part of the squad that defeated England twice in a tri-series with New Zealand in February.

Carey is confident that experience will stand the team in good stead and said the team was desperate to atone for a woeful ODI series.

“Losing 5-0 is not acceptable for the Australian cricket team,” he said.

“We don’t want that result ever again. Our T20 is going really well, we’re second in the world and we want to go one better.

“We’ve got a few new inclu- sions into the T20 side and I think it’s just really exciting, not to start again, but to go out there and show the T20 cricket we are playing is fantastic.

“If we can back up the triseries we had in New Zealand and against England, we’ll be fine.”

The 27-year-old has spent time with Ricky Ponting and Adam Gilchrist, who are helping with the team on an informal basis in England, where they have been working as TV and radio commentators.

Carey said he had enjoyed picking the brains of two of the greatest players of the modern era and hoped their advice would ultimately help him become an integral part of Australia red and white ball sides.

“I want to be the best player of spin,” he said.

“There’s so much I’ve spoken to him (Ponting) about and just trying to take what works for me as well.

“The best part about ‘Gilly’ is he kept it pretty simple when he played and he’s doing the same with the messages he’s giving us.

“It’s pretty much, ‘what’s best for our team to win a game?’ and going into games with that mentality.

“It keeps everything else pretty simple.”

The match starts at 3.30am.