Carey eyes World T20 after rapid rise

Nicola Carey credits her growing maturity for a dream start to 2018 that's seen the allrounder not only make her international debut, but establish herself as someone who could play a key role in Australia’s upcoming World T20 campaign.

Carey, a seam-bowler and handy lower-order batter, made her Australia ODI and T20I debuts on the Commonwealth Bank Tour of India in March, where she impressed enough in her four outings to earn her first Cricket Australia contract.

It's above and beyond what the 24-year-old had imagined heading into the tour, but has reinforced to Carey that she's heading in the right direction as she enters for the grind of another pre-season.

Albeit, a pre-season that will now feature Australian camps in Brisbane and the knowledge that a demanding summer – featuring a home series against New Zealand, a tour against Pakistan and a World T20 as well as the WNCL and Rebel WBBL|04 – lies ahead.

"Getting a contract was a really nice surprise, I was just happy to be on the trip to India,” Carey told cricket.com.au.

"To get a get contract at the end of it, it’s where I want to be, playing for Australia.

"So I guess it made me think that all the work I’ve been doing for the last 12 months and work I did in India is paying off and I’m heading in the right direction.

"I think I’ve matured a little bit, in the last 12 months especially.

"I’ve worked a harder on my game and there were obviously a fair few things I needed to work on, so I went away and did that."

Carey had previously been part of two Australian squads, both times called in as an injury replacement – first for Sarah Coyte during the 2012 World T20 in Sri Lanka, and then for Grace Harris in the 2016 edition of the 20-over tournament.

But both times she was unable to force her way onto the field and the label of 'understudy' did not quite sit comfortably with Carey, who noted shortly after her arrival in India that she’d felt "almost an unlucky charm, to be standing by for someone in the team (to miss out)".

Long touted as a potential international representative, and having played for Australia A, Carey knew she needed to knuckle down and find another level to her game if she was to break into the Australia squad proper.

An impressive 2017-18 season for both NSW in the WNCL and Sydney Thunder in the WBBL – where she finished as the club’s leading wicket-taker - achieved exactly that and a call from Australia chief selector Shawn Flegler soon followed.

In India, Carey impressed with her work ethic and meticulous preparation, while on the field she was quick to make her mark in her maiden ODI, finishing with figures of 0-28 from 10 overs in what wicketkeeper Alyssa Healy would later call "one of the most unlucky debuts".

"It’s still pretty crazy, when I think about it," Carey recalled. "I didn’t really know what to expect going to India, I didn’t know if I’d get a game or what I was doing to do.

"But it’s been a couple of months now (since the tour ended) and it is starting to sink in a little bit."

Before the T20 squad for India was revealed, head coach Matthew Mott made it clear there was nothing short-term about the way the national selectors were approaching their choices, declaring it was time to 'pick and stick'.

There’s a World T20 in the Caribbean this November and another, on home soil, in February-March 2020.

"She’s been on a couple of tours with us before and had really had an opportunity, but in India seemed for the first time like she felt like she belonged," Mott said.

"She played a really good role, got her debut out of the way and did a really good job.

"Her bowling is exciting, it's a lot quicker than people think. She hits the wicket hard and skids the ball.

"No one likes facing her when she hits the right length. She’s got a lot more batting power in the last 12 months too."

And honing those T20 skills will be a keen focus for Carey over the coming months.

"There are a few things with both batting and bowling I’m working on, technical things,” she said.

"Obviously Twenty20 is the focus this year with the New Zealand series and the World T20, so hopefully I’ll develop a few new things for the games ahead."

Commonwealth Bank T20I series v NZ 

September 29: First T20I, North Sydney Oval, Sydney

October 1: Second T20I, Allan Border Field, Brisbane

October 5: Third T20I, Manuka Oval, Canberra

Commonwealth Bank ODI series v NZ 

February 22: First ODI, WACA Ground, Perth

February 24: Second ODI, Karen Rolton Oval, Adelaide

March 3: Third ODI, Junction Oval, Melbourne