“Alex Carey might take the role” - Brad Hogg on Australia’s next white-ball captain

Brad Hogg feels Alex Carey could take over from Aaron Finch once the latter moves away from Australia’s white-ball captaincy.

While there is no immediate threat to Aaron Finch’s captaincy, his poor form in white-ball cricket has become a point of concern over the past few months. With the batsman set to turn 35 later this year, many feel Australia should start planning for his successor.

Brad Hogg discussed Australia’s white-ball captaincy in an exclusive interview with Times Now, backing Aaron Finch to continue as skipper until the T20 World Cup. But the former Aussie spinner feels Alex Carey may replace Finch after the ICC showpiece event.

"We’re still in the protocols of COVID-19 pandemic wherever we go to play so I would prefer two different skippers in limited-overs and Test cricket. I think Australia have enough squad depth to make two sides. I love to see Aaron Finch as a white-ball captain although he is under pressure with his batting form. He should definitely remain captain till T20 World Cup later this year. After that, Alex Carey might take the role as many see him as a promising leader," said Brad Hogg.

Alex Carey has been touted as a future captain by several members of the cricketing fraternity. The wicketkeeper-batsman also possesses captaincy experience, having led the Australia A and Adelaide Strikers in the past.

The 29-year-old has also served as Australia’s joint vice-captain in limited-overs cricket alongside Pat Cummins for close to two years.

Brad Hogg backs Pat Cummins for Test captaincy role

Brad Hogg feels Cummins is ideal for Australia's Test captain role

With 36-year-old Tim Paine hinting at retirement, Australia’s next Test captaincy role has also become a hot topic of debate. The battle seems to have boiled down to Pat Cummins and Steve Smith, with Brad Hogg lending support to the pacer for the top job.

Brad Hogg has explained that the responsibility of becoming a Test captain comes with its perils and warned Cummins that he may have to manage his workload if he succeeds Paine.

"I think Australia’s most deserving candidate for the captaincy both off and on the field is Pat Cummins. I think he is a fantastic role model and a brilliant cricketer. I think he is just perfect for the role like he does for the New South Wales. The only issue I have is that the fast bowlers do have a lot more work compared to others. Pat may have to sacrifice playing other domestic leagues such as the IPL to make sure he is going to play the majority of the games in National colours. Smith might have a fantastic cricket brain but I don’t think the Australian public are still ready to see him as a leader," Brad Hogg concluded.

Pat Cummins will next be seen in action when Australia travel to the Caribbean for a white-ball series against the West Indies in July.

Pat Cummins was Australia’s second-highest wicket-taker in the 2019 @cricketworldcup ✨On his birthday, watch his 3/33 against Pakistan 📽️ pic.twitter.com/MuCdM6ML36

— ICC (@ICC) May 8, 2021