“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.”
However, he has maintained his form and, more importantly, his hunger to keep playing at the highest level. He made the decision last summer to not play Shield cricket for Tasmania after the BBL and instead travelled to the SA20 to play with Joburg Super Kings. He then went to PSL for Karachi Kings before heading back to Gujarat Titans in the IPL after winning a title with them in 2022. He was with the squad throughout the 2023 IPL but did not play a single game. He then went and played in the Hundred with London Spirit.
“We’ve got the T20 World Cup coming up, whether I’m the number one keeper there and play, whether that be that I go as a spare bat/keeper I’m not 100% sure. I don’t know if the selectors and the coaches are 100% sure.
“But I want to be there. I want to play. If it ends up being that No.7 role as the wicketkeeper, I feel like I’ve probably nailed that spot down in the last few years for the Australian T20 side. So fingers crossed I get the nod in that but if I don’t I’m really comfortable going and playing my role.”
“It’s a really exciting squad,” Wade said. “I didn’t expect to see some of the older faces in there. The guys have been over there for so long, to be honest, and they’re going to hang around and play in those games.
“Matt Short, who’s come on in leaps and bounds in the last little bit, he’ll be around there. I was in South Africa and I saw these young guys perform at international level and I’m excited to go out and see them do it in India.”
Despite several key players being rested, Wade expected the series against India to be the start of Australia’s preparations for the T20 World Cup next year. They only have 11 T20Is between now and the start of the tournament in June, with five against India followed by three at home against West Indies in February and three more in New Zealand later that same month.
