The wisdom of Adam Gilchrist sets Alex Carey on his way

It was Adam Gilchrist who had the honour of presenting Alex Carey with his baggy green cap, but really, the honour was all Carey’s

Wicketkeeper Alex Carey receives his baggy green from Adam Gilchrist

I saw Adam Gilchrist between commentary stints at the MCG a few years ago. He was bowling to his son in a corridor behind the Fox Sports broadcast box. He had to get back to work but his son was pleading: “Can I have just one more, please?” Gilchrist gave him just one more.

He’s an all-time great cricketer. All-time great bloke. It was Gilchrist who had the honour of presenting Alex Carey with his baggy green cap at the Gabba on Wednesday, but really, the honour was all Carey’s. Gilchrist took the role seriously, seeking all manner of advice on how to do it right before he spoke from the heart ahead of the first Ashes Test.

Australia’s team was huddled around coach Justin Langer when Gilchrist sauntered over. He scrubbed up all right in suit and tie. “As is one of our traditions, one of our brothers is making his Test debut and we’ve got one of our other brothers to present the cap,” Langer said. “So Gilly, over to you, old mate.”

Old mate Gilly thanked Langer and new Test captain Pat Cummins for the “privilege” of doing the duty. He said the highest honour for a Test player was to receive a baggy green; the highest honour for an ex-Test player was to present one. Old mate Gilly had done his research. Carey was Australia’s 461st Test cricketer. The 34th gloveman. Old mate Gilly rattled off the numbers before getting deep and meaningful.

“Mate, you deserve this,” he told Carey, who was elevated to the Test XI after former captain Tim Paine’s controversial departure. “Rest assured … there is absolutely no way these are given out lightly. It’s been a courageous journey. You walked away from one journey (playing AFL) and courageously resumed another dream, and here you are, fulfilling that dream today, mate. Absolutely brilliant.”

Old mate Gilly paused, took a deep breath and then said what he really came to say.

“Mate, I think the prime thing about this cap is there’s a lot of value placed on this,” he said. “But not for a moment is there any sense of entitlement that comes with it. It doesn’t make you any more special than anyone else in society. But what I will say is if you play with humility, if you play with integrity, honesty and complete commitment to this group of people here, and I know that you will, and a sense of fun, the people in society will ride with you through the highs and probably more importantly, when the lows and challenges come, they’ll pick you up and carry you. Mate, I wish you all the best. I cannot wait to watch this journey unfold.

Carey’s behaviour was noteworthy. Respectful. Old mate Gilly had his full attention. Carey stood facing him. Looked him right in the eye throughout. There was no staring at his shoes or kicking the grass. Carey heard this last bit, blinked away tears and told old mate Gilly, “Yep.” It was rather wonderful stuff.

And then Carey went out and kept like he’d been doing it for a decade. Perfect scenario. A fast and bouncy Gabba pitch. A relentless Australian pace bowling attack that threatened to get nicks every delivery, and more or less did. Three opportunities came for Carey to get his name in a Test scorebook, and he took them all. Dawid Malan: caught Carey, bowled Hazlewood. Yep. Jos Buttler: caught Carey, bowled Starc. Yep. Ollie Robinson: caught Carey, bowled Cummins. Yep. More importantly than taking three sitters was the switched-on and mature attitude. None of it was a surprise. Not to his teammates. Not to Gilchrist. He might end the Test by asking selectors, can I have just one more, please? He’ll get a whole lot more than that.