Wicketkeeper-batsman Alex Carey is looking forward to working alongside former Australian captain Ricky Ponting at the Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League later this year.
Carey has been recruited by the Capitals, whose head coach is Ponting. Delhi have never won the IPL – and are priced at 7.00 by bet365 for a maiden title this year.
“I can't wait, even if I'm not playing, to just sit alongside him Ponting and chat cricket with him. I'll probably hang out of his pocket for the few months that I'm there,” Carey was quoted as saying by cricket.com.au.
Carey is currently with Australia in South Africa for a three-ODI series. He will be team-mates with Indian wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant, England's Jason Roy, the West Indies' Shimron Hetmyer and others at the Capitals, whose home ground is the Feroz Shah Kotla.
Carey vs Pant
“Delhi are really strong at the top with the openers and Rishabh at number four so if there's an opportunity, it'd be at five or six. Which is great for me, if I can keep improving my game in the sub-continent. Delhi's a nice spinning wicket so there will be some work to do when we get over there,” added Carey.
The 28-year-old Carey played for the Adelaide Strikers in the recent Big Bash League in Australia. He has struck one century and eight half-tons in professional T20 cricket.
“Alex is a good player of spin, and he's got such a good cricket brain and a sensible head on his shoulders that I feel he'll be able to get us across the line in a lot of games,” added Ponting.
“And also if we have an injury to our current wicketkeeper, Pant, then obviously he can fill that role nicely for us as well.”
Delhi's opening match of the 2020 IPL will be against the Kings XI Punjab on 30 March. They will play the Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium on 1 May. Mumbai have won the IPL four times – and are the reigning champions. They beat the Chennai Super Kings in the 2019 final. Mumbai are captained by Indian opening batsman Rohit Sharma.