/sky247-english/media/media_files/wvNehyUhaMjpKsvKmOZc.png)
Matthew Wade (Source: Twitter)
The Australia's interim T20 captain, Matthew Wade expressed his lack of ambition for a leadership role during the India tour but is keen to be a senior figure in the team for the T20 World Cup in the Caribbean and the United States, though uncertain about being the first-choice wicketkeeper.
Wade’s appointment as captain for the five-match series against India was previously in the works, serving as a strategy to manage senior players' workloads. Australia lacks a permanent T20I captain, with Mitchell Marsh having recent success in the role. Pat Cummins, ODI, and Test captain, along with other key players, is missing the tour. Wade, Finch's former vice-captain, didn't anticipate his return to the captaincy role.
"I've never really strived so much for leadership," he said. "I think you kind of look after your own backyard and those things kind of take care of themselves.With the relationships that I've got with [coach] Andrew McDonald and obviously [head selector] George Bailey and all the coaching staff around the Australian team and selectors, whatever situation I was going to be going over to India in it would have been in a senior role anyway. So it's just a bit of a cherry on top after a long career I suppose, to get another chance to go and captain in a country that is so much fun to play, it's going to be a hell of a time.” Wade said
Wade was the key player in 2021 World Cup campaign for Australia
The wicketkeeper-batsman was a key figure in Australia's 2021 T20 World Cup victory, but he acknowledged on the eve of the 2022 edition in Australia that it might mark his final appearance in international cricket. However, he has not only sustained his performance but also his strong desire to continue competing at the highest level.
Last summer, he made the decision to forgo playing Shield cricket for Tasmania after the BBL, opting instead to join the SA20 with the Joburg Super Kings. He then participated in the PSL with the Karachi Kings and returned to the Gujarat Titans in the Indian Premier League (IPL) after winning the title with them in 2022. Although he was part of the squad throughout the 2023 IPL, he didn't make a single appearance. Subsequently, he joined the London Spirit to play in The Hundred.