Potential Ashes bolter Alex Carey deserves to be in the mix for Australian selection and would handle the pressure of cricket's biggest rivalry, his state skipper Travis Head says.
Wicketkeeper Carey helped South Australia qualify for Saturday's one-day cup decider at Bellerive Oval against Western Australia with a career-best 92 in the elimination-final win over Victoria.
The 26-year-old shared a 215-run opening stand with centurion Jake Weatherall on Thursday to set the platform for the dominant 177-run victory.
Head, who recently returned from Australia's one-day tour of India, believes Carey has the temperament to handle a national call-up.
"He's extremely professional with his AFL background - he holds everything well and he's extremely well prepared," he said.
Matthew Wade is under pressure to be retained for November's Ashes opener in Brisbane after being dropped for part-time gloveman Peter Handscomb during the Indian tour.
Resurrecting Peter Nevill's international career is one option for selectors, while calls are growing louder for Carey to be given a shot.
"His keeping is unbelievable. It's the half-chances that he takes," Head said.
"If he can have a big start of the season, he puts his name in the hat. I think he can do it."
Carey took a record 59 first class dismissals last season - the most in the Sheffield Shield's 124-year history.
He's notched 249 runs in seven one-day cup matches this season at just over 35.
WA finished top of the one-day domestic ladder but their sole defeat was at the hands of SA, with skipper Mitchell Marsh admitting his side was sloppy with the ball in the five-run loss.
WA is expected to be boosted for the final in Hobart by the return of pacemen Nathan Coulter-Nile and Jason Behrendorff from international duty.
Experienced opening pair Shaun Marsh and Michael Klinger have plundered 726 runs between them at the top of the order.
Marsh, who has been unable to bowl due to a shoulder injury, has smashed 249 runs for the tournament at better than a run a ball.
