Alex Carey is replacing Tim Paine as the Australian wicketkeeper for Ashes

Alex Carey was confirmed as Australia's wicketkeeper for the first two Ashes Tests against England on Thursday after the scandal-stricken former skipper Tim Paine resigned. The 30-year-old has played limited edition cricket for Australia this year and has been serving as a one-day skipper in the West Indies this year but has yet to play a friendly match. That will change in Brisbane next week after he joins the 15-man squad.

"Alex was a regular member of the national team in white ball cricket, especially the one-day game," said Chief Selector George Bailey.

"He's an excellent cricketer and a fine person who will bring many great strengths to the team." Carey and his glove colleague Josh Inglis were widely viewed as a showdown for the role, but the writing was on the wall after Inglis returned to Perth this week.

"I'm incredibly humble at this opportunity. It's exciting preparation for a huge series that lies ahead," said Carey. "This also applies to my father, who was my trainer, mentor and buddy, my mother, my wife Eloise, the children Louis and Clementine, my brother and sister and everyone who supported me.

"I will do my best to make you and our country proud." Carey got the nod after Paine quit as Test captain and then resigned from cricket last week over a text messaging scandal, leaving voters looking for an alternative ahead of the first Test on December 8th.

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While Carey has been overlooked by Australia's T20 squad that won the World Cup last month, with Inglis being preferred, that has meant a lot of domestic red ball cricket for him in recent weeks.

Australia squads: Pat Cummins (Capt) Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser, Jhye Richardson, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Swepson, David Warner .