Why Allan Border thinks Alex Carey has come full circle

In late 2020, Allan Border turned the blowtorch on Alex Carey for his performance in the field. Four years on, the Godfather of Australian cricket had kinder words for Australia’s gloveman.

Alex Carey has come full circle in the eyes of Allan Border in a cricket career which continues to reach new heights.

The Godfather of Australian Test cricket delivered Carey probably the biggest serve of his professional life four years ago, but it was a very different story when Border took the microphone at the Gabba on Monday.

Carey had just smashed a classy 70 off 88 balls to lift Australia to a position where they may not need to bat again to clinch what would be a critical victory in the context of the Border Gavaskar Trophy – with rain now looming as the home side’s only obstacle to securing a 2-1 lead after the third Test in Brisbane.

If Australia wins, the heroics of Travis Head and Steve Smith will be the headline, but Carey’s selfless knock has only enhanced his reputation as the unsung hero of this team.

It’s a contribution that has not been lost on Border.

Alex Carey put together a mature innings on Monday. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty Images.

“He’s just learning all the time,” Border said on Fox Cricket.

“As a player you hope to get better and that’s exactly what he’s done. As a batsman, and a keeper and just a general leader around the team. I think he’s done a very good job.”

This was subtle but significant praise.

It was December 2020 when Border put the blowtorch on Carey for his captaincy of Australia A in a tour match against many of these same Indian stars at the SCG, declaring the wicketkeeper had fallen in his expectations and declaring the Aussies’ performance an “absolute disgrace.”

“If Alex Carey is in line to be an Australian captain, he has got a lot of work to do for me,” Border said on Fox Cricket during commentary at the time.

“He has gone down quite a few pegs. He is a good cricketer Alex Carey, he has got a bit of energy himself, but yesterday he should have reacted to the way the general feel around the team was.

“(That Australia A performance was) one of the worst, (most) lethargic performances I have seen in the last session of any cricket.

“That fielding performance, bowling performance, captaincy performance, (it was) an absolute disgrace. Not up to scratch at all.

“They gave up. Australian cricket teams, you can handle getting beaten and we’ve put in some poor performances, I’ve been a part of quite a few.

“But I don’t think you have ever accused Australian sides of not having a go.”

Twelve months later when Carey was named to captain Australia’s ODI team, Border was the first to warmly endorse the appointment.

Border said he was only ever trying to be constructive, not destructive and praised the South Australian for the manful way he had copped the spray and even called Border up to discuss the matter.

Not all cricketers would have reacted that way. Many would have sulked and quietly fumed about ex-players ripping in.

But it says something about Carey’s humility that he was willing to listen and learn and that is how he has handled all his trials and tribulations in Test cricket so far.

Alex Carey hits out at the Gabba. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty Images.

When Carey and his family received death threats after the Jonny Bairstow incident, Carey stoically battled on without a word of complaint, even though he was not the architect of the dismissal and was only following instructions from his captain.

Carey was brutally axed from Australia’s ODI team one match into the 2023 World Cup and was forced to watch the side clinch perhaps the greatest triumph in the history of the tournament knowing it could have been him standing behind the stumps.

Other players might have seen themselves as a scapegoat in this type of situation, but again, Carey put his head down and soldiered on.

Under immense pressure to score runs back in February and with Josh Inglis sweating on his heels, Carey produced a matchwinning 98 not out against New Zealand and didn’t show even the slightest hint of regret at his captain accidentally hitting the winning runs to leave him stranded two short of what would have been a deserved second Test century.

This summer, Carey fronted up for the first Test knowing Inglis was officially part of the squad, yet he has not looked back.

Adam Gilchrist praised Carey for his calmness, energy and counterattacking ability, and Michael Vaughan said it was Carey’s team-first attitude that made him so important.

Averaging 32 as a keeper in Test cricket is extremely handy going and Carey continues on as the quiet achiever.