New signing looks forward to the Big Bash and is relishing new phase of his career
Wednesday 17 December 2014 16:40, UK
Michael Carberry was ready to board a plane to Perth this time 12 months ago. Not with England, but to join Scorchers for a season in the Big Bash League.
An agreement had been reached and a contract signed which Carberry ultimately couldn’t fulfil due to a dream call-up to the England Test side for the Ashes series against Australia.
Sadly that dream didn’t quite go to plan, although Carberry was one of England’s better performers in the 5-0 whitewash, finishing as one of their highest run-scorers with 281 at an average of 28.10, second only to Kevin Pietersen.
England have since moved on and 34-year-old Carberry is doing the same.
“I wouldn’t change my career,” he says. “Internationally it didn’t quite go to plan, but Twenty20 is a game I’ve excelled in, certainly in the last couple of years.
“So obviously I was delighted last year when Perth approached me to come and play. They went on to do great things – winning the Big Bash – so I was hoping I hadn’t missed my chance.”
He hadn’t. Perth kept in close contact with him throughout the English summer as Hampshire reached a fifth straight T20 Finals Day, with Carberry having another strong year, averaging 32.61 with a strike rate of 134.17.
He now joins the ranks of Englishmen who have signed up for this year's Big Bash, including Pietersen, Andrew Flintoff and Luke Wright.
Despite the speed and intensity of the shorter format, Carberry puts his success down to a strong grounding in the longer form of the game.
“Cricket was very different when I started – T20 wasn’t around then,” he says. “Having a good base in first-class cricket when it did arrive, gave me those values of defending your wicket.
“Particularly as an opening batsman, you still need to have a good technique, know how to play in different conditions, know what balls to hit.
“From that base, you then just try to expand off that in the shorter form.”
With that grounding, how does he expect to cope with the different conditions he will face in Australia with the Big Bash and possibly – all being well – India with the IPL?
“The wickets tend to be good for batting and have a little more bounce in Australia, especially in Perth”, he says. “So you don’t have to try to create as much pace on the ball like you have to in England sometimes.
“Also, the grounds are bigger, so you might have to be a little savvier on where your boundary options are, probably having to run more twos or threes.
“I’d obviously love the opportunity to play in the IPL,” he adds. “It’s a great arena to play in against or alongside some of the greats of our game.
“I’d dearly love that opportunity to kick on from the Big Bash and play in the IPL – I see this all as a great new phase of my career.”
Watch Carberry’s Perth play Adelaide in the Big Bash live on Sky Sports 2 on Monday from 8am. Coverage of the competition starts this Thursday with Adelaide facing the Melbourne Stars, also live on Sky Sports 2 from 8am.