Carey vs Wade: Who should take the gloves for Australia?

"You do realise that Matthew Wade is the current T20 vice captain,". Sure do and in this format with so many players not available, I don't think that means much. Wade at best is hit and miss, where in recent times his misses have been far more prominent than his hits. The top of the order is a ticket to make a decent score, but Wade has made exactly three 50's in 34 innings. I hardly think that makes him a natural replacement for any of the regular top 3 and his batting average of 21 confirms my view. As for Maxwell and captaincy, right now it's a moot point but I guess we'll see in a few months time if Finch is unable to captain the team at the WC. I have no idea why he's not in favour with selectors as a captain but I'd be very surprised if the got the top job for a series; maybe for a game, but that would be it.

The upcoming Bangladesh series is the last one before the cup. And with Inglis not a part of the squad there is no chance he'll play in the WC. As I said, it's really odd that they didn't have a look at him, given the uncertainty around the WK position in the side. If the selectors lose faith in Carey and Wade then they'll probably just go with Philippe.

You do realise that Matthew Wade is the current T20I vice captain, right? He captained Australia against India last summer when Finch was absent. Even if that wasn't the case, there's still zero chance of Carey captaining if Australia has its best side together. So why is Carey's captaincy potential relevant, but Wade's ability to bat top 3 isn't? If Finch doesn't play - which is the ONLY scenario in which Carey possibly captains - Wade is next in line to open. With Finch in the side, there is still a question mark over Smith's fitness so a top-3 spot could still be available. Carey being ahead of Wade in keeping ability (and I don't think the margin is as big as you're making out) is almost irrelevant. As long as the selectors view Wade as being capable of doing the job, which they apparently do, then it's going to come down to batting ability in this format. And while neither is a world-beater in that regard, Wade is clearly in front. Lastly, Maxwell is every chance to captain if Finch isn't out there and they opt not to go for Wade. I'd go as far as saying he's the frontrunner for the job in that situation, based on his experience in this form of the game. He not only captains the Stars but he's captained in the IPL too. He's the obvious candidate, to the point where it should overcome even his rocky relationship with the selectors (which has really only been an issue in other formats anyway).

Better select Inglis ASAP before the poms snatch him from under our noses.

Are there any lead in bi-lateral iT20 series prior to the WC for Inglis to be trialled? My gut feel is that Inglis is the premier choice, but I have to reserve my judgement until he is actually tested at the higher international level. Or do they “blood” Inglis in this WC with a view to winning the WC in Australia 12 months after?

James, I can’t put my finger on it with Carey in iT20, but there seems to be a (current) gap between his ability to turn the scoreboard over quickly in ODIs playing relatively conventional cricket shots and iT20s where he either doesn’t have the confidence to play normal shots but at a much increased intensity every ball or every second ball, or he has it in his head that T20 is all about ramp shots, stepping away for down the ground cross-bat smashes, reverse sweeps or a few other “Maxwell” type speciality shots. Carey just can’t pull that off and averages less than 12 balls per innings whilst at the same time only striking at 113. If you only average 12 balls per innings, you should be striking at 160+. It tells me Carey is struggling to score with his high risk shot selection and those high risk shots are getting him out. Actually watching him bat tells me that also. — Carey has done well in BBL, but I think the consistent quality of bowling he faces at domestic level is far below the intensity encountered by the “best of the best” national bowlers in iT20 and this helps him score relatively conventionally at a high rate in BBL. — It may be that he can bridge that gap/solve his current technical approach, but not, IMO, in time for this WC. — Batting outputs trump keeping skills in T20 (within reason) and Carey just isn’t there yet re batting.

As I wrote in response to James just below your comment, Wade has to bat top 3 to be even marginally effective. If he doesn't, his numbers are no better than Carey and he's not a patch on Carey as a keeper. As for the T20 World Cup scheduling, IMO it's farcical. The article below describes the plan to hold a T20 WC every two years, with Champions Trophy & ODI World Cups every 4 years. The ICC controls the broadcast rights for these and this appears to be a blatant cash grab by them. As you rightly said, holding these events too frequently devalues them but that's what the ICC seems hell-bent on doing. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/news/icc-to-hold-t20-world-cup-every-two-years-in-next-cycle/articleshow/83150500.cms

Go back and look at Wades record. Since 2020, if he's batted outside the top 3, he's made 18,1, 7 & 26, average = 13, which is marginally better than Carey. Bear in mind there's zero chance of him batting top 3 if Australia puts in anything like it's best team and he's hardly the best keeper Australia could choose. The premise was who do you choose between Carey and Wade. Carey is streets ahead as a keeper, has age on his side and is a firm favourite with selectors. There's no way Maxwell would be given the captaincy role, rightly or wrongly, for the World Cup, whereas Carey's a chance for sure. For mine, Inglis is the guy I'd have keeping with Cumins as captain, but if it was down to either of these guys, Wade would miss out.

regardless of who keeps I think Inglis should be in all formats. His current English record speaks to that. But Carey is the acting captain should Finch not play...well at the moment ..but you have to love Wade's aggression. But Inglis Wade Marsh Carey would have been my top order and without the big names its a toss up for the rest

Given that he bats in the middle order too, I'm staggered they didn't take him to the Caribbean. He potentially solves two issues if he has a decent series. Now it's too late to trial him before the Cup.

On what grounds?!? Wade's T20I record is miles better than Carey's is (even though neither is overly impressive). I mean, Carey averages 11 after 33 matches. They'd be better off giving Philippe or McDermott the gloves than playing Carey. As Jeff said below, the author has conflated ODI and T20I numbers. Carey would be the better choice in an ODI tournament but that's not particularly relevant here. He's also done his best BBL batting at the top so I'm not sure where the author was going with the whole middle order thing. If it's purely a question of captaincy with Finch potentially unavailable then Maxwell can take the reigns. He'd have Warner, Cummins and probably Smith to bounce off.

It's T20, Trev. You only have to be a passable keeper at international level to keep in this format. I wouldn't have Wade anywhere near the gloves in the test side. But he's competent enough that keeping ability should be a non-factor in this decision. And in terms of T20 batting ability, he's miles ahead of Carey.

Another one only 12 months later, when the last one was 5 years ago seems pretty bizarre. Calling a T20 comp a World Cup is a bit confusing for less engaged punters, and having it too frequently devalues it, though I’m genuinely glad it’s given the Windies something to cheer about. Tend to agree with you about Carey, even though a lot of others here point to Wade’s superior record in internationals.

Inglis is a better keeper than both and also a better T20 batsman than both.

Wade is not a keeper, he is a backstop. There are no amounts of runs he can score that will compensate for the dropped catches and extras.

Have those that promote Carey ever watched him bat in iT20? He’s clueless as to how to go about it. Nearly every shot is premeditated high risk/low return. There is a reason Carey averages 11 in iT20 - he can’t last more than a handful of balls. The author sneakily conflated both white ball series averages to have Wade and Carey on par at around 22/23 ave. No, Carey scored 9, 0, 13 in the T20 series.

In T20 cricket, it has to be Wade. In T20 Internationals he averages 21.13 (SR 130.7), compared to Carey who averages 11.64 (SR 113.14). In the scheme of things, Wade has done pretty well- he's the only Australian keeper to pass 50 in T20 Internationals (and has done it 3 times). He probably sits second to Gilchrist for the best performed keeper-batsmen in T20 Internationals for Australia. I agree Wade's much better as an opener, and I would consider moving Finch into the middle order to accommodate him opening. If they don't go down this path, then he bats at 7 or 8- they seem to want to play 4 bowlers instead of 5 now, so he doesn't have to be in the top 6. The other name is of course Josh Inglis. I would have used the West Indies and Bangladesh tours as a bat off between Wade and Inglis. Unfortunately this didn't happen, so I think they have to go with the guy whose done the best job for them in the T20 format- Wade.

Josh Inglis. Wade if I have to pick one of him or Carey, Carey continues to show he is a dreadful T20 bat down the Order. I’d back Wade to be slightly less worse.

I reckon Carey's in front in this contest by the length of the Flemington straight. That's even more so if Finch is still hampered by injury and can't play in the WC. Bearing in mind there's another T20 WC only 12 months later, everything points to Carey being there for a while, unless Josh Inglis gets a few games and really stars.