Jhye Richardson’s shock promotion to Australia’s Test squad has angered many fans, but it shouldn’t distract from the fact the 21-year-old is a rare talent with the ability to shine in all three formats at international level.
Richardson was picked in Australia’s 15-man squad for next month’s four-Test tour of South Africa, with prolific swing bowler Chadd Sayers snubbed, despite dominating the Sheffield Shield for the past five years.
Sayers was in Australia’s Ashes squad this summer, yet told media this week he didn’t get a phone call from the selectors explaining why he’d been overlooked for the South Africa tour.
Chairman of selectors Trevor Hohns explained to the press why they’d instead picked Richardson, citing his startling pace as a major factor. While Sayers is extremely unlucky to never have played for Australia, I understand the selectors’ method.
They have long sought to have variety in the pace attack. They see express left-armer Mitchell Starc, accurate seamer Josh Hazlewood, and standover man Pat Cummins as playing three distinct roles. It was the same story when they previously had the brute force of Mitchell Johnson, the high-speed swing of Ryan Harris, and the relentless precision of Peter Siddle.
This variety has served Australia well – their Test attack has been consistently effective across all countries and conditions for the past four years. The only genuinely poor series an Aussie attack has had in that time was in the UAE against Pakistan, just over three years ago, on two of the deadest pitches imaginable.
Variety has been key to that success.
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We saw the flipside of that in the Ashes, as England’s brigade of right-arm, 135kmh bowlers formed a smorgasbord for the Australian batsmen. Not to mention at the MCG, where a Starc-less Australia suddenly looked far more one dimensional with an attack of Jackson Bird, Hazlewood and Cummins.
In South Africa next month, the selectors clearly see Bird as the back-up for Hazlewood. That’s Bird’s best position. Both men are very similar in style – 195cm right-armers who seek to land delivery after delivery just outside off stump on an in-between length.
They don’t seek to bowl miracle deliveries, rather they play on the batsmen’s patience with their accuracy and persistence. Sayers, too, is in this mould. That’s why he was considered surplus to requirements.
Of course, there’s a strong case to be made that Australia could do with at least two, or even three such precise operators when faced with a green seamer, which is quite possible at some point in the series in South Africa. But after Starc, Cummins and Hazlewood’s dominant display in the Ashes, there was never a chance two of them would be dropped to make way for both Bird and Sayers on a green deck.
With Bird firmly entrenched as Hazlewood’s understudy, Sayers very likely would have been reduced to a net bowler. It made more sense for the second reserve paceman to be a back-up for Cummins and Starc.
If not for their injuries, James Pattinson or Nathan Coulter-Nile would have been the leading contenders to fill this spot. With that pacy pair unavailable, there were limited options for quicks who can consistently bowl above 140kmh – Chris Tremain would have been my choice.
Not only is Tremain sharp – he was clocked at 148kmh in his debut ODI series in South Africa in 2016 – but he’s also been consistently excellent in the Shield, with 100 wickets at 20 over the past three seasons.
Given the make-up of Australia’s Test squad, Tremain was more unlucky than Sayers to miss out.
Instead, it was Richardson who was picked as the express understudy. The West Australian boosted his stocks with an impressive ODI debut against England last week, outbowling both Starc and Cummins in that match, operating with a precision the pair could not match.
Despite his inexperience – Richardson had played just eight List A matches prior to that match – the right-armer looked comfortable from his first over.
This continues a trend for Richardson, who has quickly found his feet in every format since making his State debut just weeks after his 19th birthday.
He appears to have generous faith in his own ability, and who could blame him given the remarkable gifts he possesses. Richardson has been clocked at up to 150kmh and is capable of bowling consistently in the 142-146kmh range, similar to Cummins.
Jhye Richardson (AAP Image/Richard Wainwright)
Most bowlers who operate at such pace, particularly younger ones, does so at the expense of their accuracy. Not Jhye. He is impressively precise for a young express quick. Granted, he is not in the same league as Hazlewood, Bird or Sayers when it comes to suffocating batsmen, yet he’s still comfortably more accurate than Starc.
Of course, the sample size is small when assessing Richardson’s first-class career – he’s played only five games. As much as his haul of 21 wickets at 25 in those matches, what stands out is his fantastic strike rate of 46. Richardson is a natural wicket-taker.
He has a lovely out swinger, a lethal yorker, and a skiddy bouncer which frequently surprises batsman. In terms of style, he is similar to a young Dale Steyn, who also happens to be the bowler Richardson says he modelled himself on.
That’s not to suggest he can go close to matching the feats of Steyn, the greatest pace bowler of the past decade. However, with his pace, aggression, confidence and skill, there is a great deal about Richardson which appeals.
He might not be ready for Test cricket just yet, but Richardson has all the attributes to become a regular for Australia in all three formats.
Don Freo
Guest
That's the same point. It doesn't even contribute to the discussion, let alone end it. I guarantee you haven't 'ended' it here. You'll make another equally silly comment at least once more.
Clear Release
Guest
if we are picking someone for test cricket because they once bowled 4 good overs in a BBL game then we are in trouble. he has played 5 first class games. he has not taken a 5 for. end of discussion
Saurebh Gandle
Roar Guru
Yes but Australia seem to produce many of these.
Don Freo
Guest
No one is comparing him to the greats. It's obvious you are not reading responses. You keep saying the same stuff. When you say"some" BBL, lots would be the better word. ODD and now ODI. Player of the final in BBL6. You might consider why WA selectors, OZ selectors, critics and senior players see things you haven't. Perhaps they watch.
Ozibatla
Guest
Yeh for a couple of years Siddle was quite quick when in rhthym but closer to 140 than 150 on a consistent basis. Hilfenhaus was a star that shined briefly. Again he got it through well at times but I wouldnt label him a genuine quick bowler.
Clear Release
Guest
don he's played 5 first class games and a bit of bbl... and he took wicket in his odi debut. then he usurps you know who for a test tour. he is yet to do anything and from what i've seen here is yet again a young player built up and over-rated before he's actually done anything. I'll compare him to the great bowlers when he's proved himself: correction- if he proves himself
Don Freo
Guest
It's very easy to watch Shield, JLT and T20...if you want to. Use the CA website and you can watch every Shield match...if you want to. You keep saying 5 FC matches but he has been around in state cricket since 2015. That's the problem when you base all your information only on posts that uttered negatives. It seems that on-line articles and FTA TV control your input of information. I suppose it is easier to argue with guess work and cliche but informed argument gets a more ready audience. You are just wrong. I suspect you might be looking at the wrong player. You're not thinking of Jon Wells, are you...or Damien Oliver?
Simoc
Guest
Gotta say. Richardson looks the goods, absolutely. He is a future investment in South Africa who have a couple of their own future great fast bowlers happening now. Sayers is a good Shield bowler, cannon fodder in South Africa.
Clear Release
Guest
are you his dad? so we're now at desperate levels if we are basing test selection on junior cricket. There have been a lot of next big things that have amounted to nothing much out of the academy and u'19 set up. You keep saying if i watched more of him. i think thats the point there not a lot of stuff to have watched. From what i've seen he looks ok, doesn't get much swing if at all, has a bit of pace, nothing special, and he is not blessed with height. Thats probably why he hasn't taken a bag full of wickets yet and its why i think we're looking at domestic cricketer not an international. before you mention some greta bowlers names as a counter-claim please be reminded he is none of the names you've mentioned and he does not deserve his selection based on his 5 first class games without yet taking a 5 for. If he can bowl at 150kph more often, or if he develops as a genuine swing bowler and takes some 5fors at shield level than lest consider him for test selection. Until then he just does not deserve selection or the ridiculous accolades like being mentioned in the same sentences as some of the great bowlers you've mentioned
Don Freo
Guest
You keep saying the same thing regardless of reality. Bounce? The guy flies around batsmen's ears. Swing...and cut...he does it stacks and has been doing it since Oz U19 days. All you have to do is watch. You won't see it if you don't watch. Express? He is the fastest ever recorded bowler at the Academy. He is consistently faster than Cummins, Hazlewood, Tremain and while Starc's fastest is probably faster, he cannot and does not sustain it like Richardson. The only one to match him with pace (besides Starc) is Stanlake and then fitness is the difference. Richardson can do it for 20 overs a day. Mentioning other names? Your contention is that if you are short, you are no good. I am mentioning short fellas that have rubbished such a silly stance. You will find no agreement from cricket people but if you watch a bit more, you start to notice stuff.
Clear Release
Guest
how much domestic shield cricket does anyone watch... all i know is he has played 5 games and is yet to take a 5for.... how does that warrant selection? hes done okay in the bbl, at times bowling 4 whole overs, and has not swung the ball at all... how is this any kind of case for test squad selection?
Clear Release
Guest
again you keep mentioning names of other bowlers as if that proves something... This guy is not a swing bowler and he's not express, he's got a bit of pace that will trouble no one at test level, and without a bit of bounce, he is not going to do anything but become a player that once made the squad. he should not have made the squad btw. he's played 5 first class games and is yet to have taken a 5 for.... his selection is ridiculous!!!
Don Freo
Guest
You may not have 'seen' him do it but that says everything about how much you watch, and what you watch, but absolutely nothing about Richardson.
Clear Release
Guest
it is if you don't swing the ball and i haven't seen him get much swing at all. He'll prove a lemon at test level
Don Freo
Guest
He bowls consistently in the 145 to 150 range. As the article acknowledges, he bowls a very good outie and we have already seen him get through the defence of many, bringing it back through the gate and bowling them. So, he moves it both ways at above 145kph. Worth having a look instead of guessing. Add Truman and Malinga to the list of shorties.
danno
Guest
Holding, Roberts, Garner, Croft. Which one would you drop for variety ?
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
You do realise that Richardson is the same height as Steyn and Philander, the two most successful Test quicks of the past decade? Height aint everything champ.
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
Actually in the pre-Lehmann era the likes of Siddle, Hilfenhaus and Bollinger were genuinely quick - Siddle and Hilfy both were clocked at up to 150kmh against India in the 2011-12 summer and Bollinger was regularly clocked at up to 145kmh in those days. Clark is the only one of those bowlers you mentioned who played plenty of cricket for Australia in the pre-Lehmann era while bowling at a gentle pace.
Clear Release
Guest
All the players you mention swung the ball through the air. This guy is not a swing bowler. if he's going to bowl at 140-145kph, (ok pace but not really express) and he doesn't generally get swing, like all the other you mention, then he needs to rely on pace and bounce. He's not that quick and so he is going to be too short to be a quality test bowler.
Ozibatla
Guest
Yep I agree Don. Whilst its an advantage to be tall as a fast bowler, it is not the be all end all, as evident by those bowlers you listed. I think what is clear at the moment is the constant "need for speed" by those within team ranks (captain, coach and selectors). This has been driven primarily by Darren Lehmann since he began his tenure as Australian coach in 2013. Before this time there didnt seem to be a strong desire to play quicks who bowled 145ks+. Think Siddle, Bird, Hilfenhaus, Bollinger, Clark, Hastings etc. Whilst some of these mentioned could bowl over 140 occasionally, they were more regularly around mid to high 130s. How things have changed. What is worth noting is that in todays day and age, one needs to have some tricks and skills at their disposal in this batsmen favoured era. Whether that be seam, swing, pace, bounce, accuracy or all of the above, you cant be one-dimensional. For me it appears as though many bowlers within first class and international cricket lack the ability to bowl genuine cutters, swing a ball both ways conventionally or have that classical wrist snap that puts extra energy on the ball ala a Mcgrath or a Hadlee. Subsequently, velocity through the air has almost become a default setting favoured by many.