Healy has high hopes for Carey

Legendary wicketkeeper Ian Healy believes rookie Aussie gloveman Alex Carey is a more polished performer than he was at the same fledgling stage of their respective international careers. 

Healy, who played just six first-class matches before his first Test tour in 1988, today compared the current Australia crop with the mid-to-late 1980s group, drawing similarities between the two eras in terms of each being in a rebuilding phase that could – and for Healy's generation, did – lead to prolonged success. 

And while Healy picked up a lot of the skills and lessons that made him one of the all-time great wicketkeepers while plying his trade on the international scene, he insists Carey, who debuted in ODIs and T20Is earlier this year, is more advanced as a 'keeper in the early stages of his own Australian career. 

"Alex Carey hasn't got as much learning as me to do," he said. "He's a really good performer, and most teams he's been part of have had success. That's the type we want in there. 

"He's just working his way up into the one-dayers now, and at some stage, he might take Tim Paine's (Test) job – in two or three years."

Carey, 27, debuted at No.8 in the one-day side in January but has since batted at five (three times) and six (twice) as Australia continue to tinker with their order to find a formula that works ahead of next year's World Cup. 

The left-hander has shown he is capable of switching through the gears in the 50-over format, with his ability to accumulate runs as well as clear the ropes providing flexibility in the middle order. 

Healy insists this is exactly what the team needs as they bid to break a horror sequence of results over the past 20 months and defend their World Cup title. 

"I don't see a specific role there for Alex Carey – I don't mind him batting at the end, and really knocking it around … or getting a run a ball while he's with someone exploding," he said ahead of Saturday night's T20I clash against South Africa on the Gold Coast.

"All these batsmen in short-form cricket now can play a role … they don't have to be in an order, they can be injected when it suits.

"And Carey's as versatile as any of them." 

Gillette T20s v South Africa and India

Gillette T20s v South Africa 

November 17: Metricon Stadium, Gold Coast

Gillette T20s v India

November 21: The Gabba

November 23: MCG

November 25: SCG

Australia T20 squad: Aaron Finch (c), Alex Carey, Ashton Agar, Jason Behrendorff, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Chris Lynn, Glenn Maxwell, Ben McDermott, D'Arcy Short, Billy Stanlake, Marcus Stoinis, Andrew Tye, Adam Zampa.

South Africa T20 squad: Faf du Plessis (c), Farhaan Behardien, Quinton de Kock, Reeza Hendricks, Imran Tahir, Heinrich Klaasen, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Chris Morris, Lungi Ngidi, Andile Phehlukwayo, Dwaine Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi.

India T20 squad: Virat Kohli (c), Rohit Sharma (vc), Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Dinesh Karthik, Rishabh Pant (wk), Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Washington Sundar, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Umesh Yadav, Khaleel Ahmed.