"I don't see us falling into our batters going out and trying to score the same rate" - Alex Carey on whether Australia will embrace Bazball
Australian wicketkeeper Alex Carey believes that the Aussies are unlikely to side with the brute, aggressive approach employed by England during the upcoming Ashes. The storied rivalry is set to kick-start yet again from June 16 onwards, with the first Test scheduled at Edgbaston in Birmingham.
Australia will first feature in the World Test Championship (WTC) final against India from June 7 onwards at The Oval before moving on to the Ashes. The highly-anticipated series has already gathered steam after Stuart Broad labeled the 2021-22 Ashes as "void", following England's humiliating 4-0 loss.
However, since then, England have taken a turn for the good. The appointment of Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum as captain and coach of the Test team has worked wonders with their aggressive approach paying off as well. They have notched notable wins over New Zealand, India, Pakistan, and South Africa over the last 12 months.
Stating that Australia will stick to their own approach that has got them into the WTC final, Carey said on SEN Radio:
"We've heard some stuff in the media what the wickets might be like, the boundaries etc, [and] the way [England] are playing at the moment it is eye-catching.I'd like to think we aren't surprised now [with] the way they'll come out and play."
He continued:
"The tactical stuff will start to take place over the next couple of weeks but I don't see us falling into our batters going out and trying to score the same rate. We'll do it differently, we've had some serious success in the last 18-24 months playing the style we want to play in different conditions and lucky enough to be rewarded with a spot in the World Test Championship [final]."
Australia have already named their squad for the WTC Finals as well as the Ashes. Pat Cummins will lead the side with senior members like David Warner, Steve Smith, and Nathan Lyon also marking their presence.
"It's going to be hot contest and I'm smiling just thinking about that first Test" - Alex Carey
Alex Carey has cemented himself as Australia's first-choice wicketkeeper in Tests since Tim Paine's departure from the team. Carey has played a key role behind the stumps and has also chipped in with some valuable runs down the order in the 2021-23 cycle of the World Test Championship (WTC).
Branding the Ashes as a "hot contest", Carey said:
"We are excited to come over to their backyard and take on a team that's playing some really eye-catching cricket. As a player it's going to be hot contest and I'm smiling just thinking about that first Test."
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