Matthew Wade, who was recently announced as the captain of Australia for the five-match T20I series against India scheduled to be played on the latter's home turf, has mentioned that he "never really strived so much for leadership but the announcement is like a cherry on top after a long career".
The 2021 T20 World Cup winners do not have a designated captain in the T20I format. Star allrounder led the side in the recently culminated T20I series against South Africa in South Africa and it was the first T20I series that Australia competed in since the retirement of former captain Aaron Finch.
Cricket Australia has given rest to a cluster of senior pros on the side for the tour including Marsh, Test and ODI skipper Pat Cummins, Cameron Green, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood.
"I've never really strived so much for leadership. I think you kind of look after your own backyard and those things kind of take care of themselves," said Wade as reported by ESPNcricinfo.
"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."
The 35-year-old is also fairly excited for the upcoming T20 World Cup slated to be played in the USA and the West Indies but is not very sure that he will be the team's first-choice wicketkeeper in the tournament.
"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," he concluded.
