West Australian fast bowler Lance Morris has bolted into Australia’s squad for the second Test against the West Indies.
With Pat Cummins in doubt to play at the Adelaide Oval after sustaining a quad injury in Australia’s first Test win, the 24-year old, regarded as one of the fastest bowlers in the country, was a shock choice as cover should the captain fail to prove his fitness.
“Patty’s obviously the major concern,” coach Andrew McDonald said on Monday. “We erred on the side of caution.
“We had him out there, available (as a chance to bowl on Sunday’s day 5) potentially if we were pushed into a bit of a corner and the game wasn’t going our way, but fortunately, we didn’t have to use him.
“That recovery, in theory, started potentially two days ago. So we feel as though he’s 50-50 for the next Test match at the moment. We can leave it right up to the toss if we want. He’s our captain, we’re going to give him every chance to get out there.”
It is still expected that Scott Boland will replace Cummins should he be unable to play; however, a heavy workload for fellow quicks Mitchell Starc (45 overs) and Josh Hazlewood (43 overs) in Perth could tempt the selectors into resting one or both ahead of a three-Test series against South Africa.
Regular Australian squad member Michael Neser, who made his Test debut replacing Cummins in last summer’s Adelaide Test after he was exposed to COVID-19 on match eve, has also been called into the line-up as cover fellow West Australian speedster Jhye Richardson was unavailable after suffering a heel injury in the Sheffield Shield.
Morris is the leading Shield wicket-taker this summer, claiming 27 scalps at just 18.4 with an impressive strike rate of 33.1.
Lance Morris of Western Australia celebrates taking the wicket of James Peirson of Queensland. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)
He turned heads to start the season with a five-wicket haul, and nine for the match, in WA’s opening match against NSW, while he played a key role in the Warriors’ drought-breaking Sheffield Shield triumph last summer.
As little as a fortnight ago, he seemed to be behind Neser, fellow Queenslander Mark Steketee and another West Aussie in Joel Paris, who were all selected to face the Windies in the Prime Minister’s XI tour match.
Chief selector George Bailey said Neser “was simply outstanding in Adelaide last summer”.
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“He has continued to perform incredibly consistently since and will be warmly welcomed back,” said Bailey.
“Lance is another of the outstanding young fast bowlers come through the ranks. He has genuine pace and his ability to create opportunities for wickets is a real draw card. It will be great experience for him to come into the environment.”
Regularly clocking speeds of up to 150km/h, Morris rivals Tasmanian limited-overs specialist Riley Meredith as the quickest bowler in Australia.
Despite looking hampered in the field and unable to bowl in Australia’s second innings, Cummins has insisted he will be fit to play in Adelaide.
“I felt pretty comfortable out there, so give it a few days and it already feels pretty good,” the captain said after play on Day 5 in Perth.
“The physio might be less optimistic, but I think I’ll be fine.”
However, Cummins admitted neither he nor the Australian doctors will take any risks with the star paceman, ahead of the South Africa series as well as an early-2023 tour of India.
“I don’t really want to turn a one-week injury into a three or four-week injury, and potentially miss the summer,” Cummins said.
“So we’ll weigh all that up.”
Peter Farrar
Roar Pro
Yes, that's fair enough. Tough at 32 to be too late. I really like the length he bowls. Such a hard worker and probably deserves a longer career but hard to break through. He is probably destined to be the bowler who will be the guy who fills in.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
I remember all that. Quite weirdly progressed were the events.
Pierro
Roar Rookie
that's definitely what I've noted with starc in general in uk and aus after Adelaide he should be rested at Melbourne or Sydney . he had a good run last year but it's rare and at 33 we have to respect his bowling age and averages at certain grounds. Hazelwood can get hamstrings if overbowled he was gone by oval test in last uk series and think he went down at Adelaide last year or year before with injury . Boland neser and this young kid look very competent on Aussie pitches . boland at McG last year simply has to be considered again he was better than all of them as was Pattinson before him at McG he never lost a test there and when he didn't play there Aus got done or drawed a few times . rotations can work at McG and scg in particular which play differently
Pierro
Roar Rookie
hey Brett generally agree but Hazelwood and starc have been prone to hamstrings and niggles and often starc historically starts to spray them off target as series go on in uk or Aus. he’s definitely one that could be rotated out test 3 or 4 according to his historical average . He actually did well all last summer but a few of the better teams previous to that got hold of him a bit more . I’m a big fan of his when he’s used well . Hazelwood hamstrings can get bit a suspect too . Now Cummins picked up his first niggle in a long time . just baring in mind they are 29 and the other two are practically 32 and 33 within a month . big schedule this year and Boland is very competent although he’s 34 ! definitely some potential to look after them after 32 years of age but not too much rotation. the suggest tragedy has been jhye Richardson who was dreadfully unlucky with that shoulder injury several years ago . he was on cracking form then and since then has struggled to get consistent runs. he was arguably coming on as well as anyone pre that shoulder injury and had a good Adelaide test last season but injuries again since
Geoff from Bruce Stadium
Roar Rookie
Yeah - I watched the whole series - not saying Boland isn't a great bowler - his performances against England were outstanding. When I say taking the soft option I meant taking the safe, less risky and logical choice rather than taking a punt on young Lance Morris. His time will no doubt come given what we have seen.
Chanon
Roar Rookie
CAM not much has changed but selective memory loss still quite apparent in the world of CA.
Omnitrader
Roar Rookie
Hazelwood is 19.9 in pink ball....both have excellent numbers.
Clear as mud
Guest
the bizarre thing for me was them announcing Big carl and Honest John without asking them the simple question - have you signed? with thanks to wikipedia: --- Original squad The original squad selected were as follows:[2] Batsmen - Allan Border (captain), Andrew Hilditch (vice captain), David Boon, Greg Ritchie, Dirk Wellham, Kepler Wessels, Graeme Wood Fast bowlers - Terry Alderman, Geoff Lawson, Craig McDermott, Rod McCurdy Spinners - Murray Bennett, Bob Holland, Greg Matthews Wicketkeepers - Wayne Phillips, Steve Rixon All-rounders - Simon O'Donnell "Rebel tours" of South Africa However it was revealed prior to leaving for England that several of the cricketers had signed to play cricket in South Africa over the 1985-86 and 1986-87 seasons, including Alderman, Wellham, Wood, McCurdy, Phillips, Bennett and Rixon. Although these contracts did not start until after the Ashes, the Australian Cricket Board were reluctant to allow these players to go on the tour. Wellham, Phillips and Wood were then all offered inducements by Kerry Packer, who owned TV rights to the game, not to go to South Africa, and Bennett changed his mind. Alderman, McCurdy and Rixon stuck by their original decisions, and were ruled ineligible to tour. They were replaced by Carl Rackemann, John Maguire and Ray Phillips. Rackemann and McGuire then revealed that they too had signed to tour South Africa, and were replaced by David Gilbert and Jeff Thomson. The remaining Australian team originally elected to tour without Wellham, Phillips and Wood but eventually changed their mind after a team meeting.[
Johnb
Guest
When it comes to fast bowlers, there isn't a line to get into the Australian team and there's no such thing as turns. If you're bowling quick and taking wickets, you're right in the frame to be picked, whether you've played 5 Shield games or 50.
Chanon
Roar Rookie
Yea he was pulled out from playing in the ashes & slapped with a 3 year hiatus.
Clear as mud
Guest
he had been overlooked, reasonably, for younger hit the deck bowlers like Rackemann and McDermott. he had taken 13 wickets at 50+ in 6 home and away tests against the windies. he would have smashed it in england in 85, but after that???
Clear as mud
Guest
because they used to pick them young in NSW when everyone else was trying to James Hopes their way to a Shield and it wasn't one man, it was a panel and Pattinson is not from NSW. Neither was the 21 year old Gillespie when selected. or Lillee. or McKenzie. or warne. or Martyn, Ponting, Langer.
Clear as mud
Guest
Border took a set against him in that hopeless home Ashes. He outbowled Merv on Matthews' debut in Brisbane. he and Henry (with sore back) got some stick in Perth but Matthews at least took 3. AB gave Waugh 21 overs and Matthews 2 in the second dig - the stubborn AB we know and love to love. Matthews topped the Shield wicket tally that summer. He had taken 34 at 24 in 7 games the season before He took 56 at 21 in 87-8, when Tony dodemaide was taking the new ball for Australia. 10 more wickets than anyone in the Shield In 88-9 he took 9 wickets against the windies in the tour game. he got picked for the first test but WA had only one Shield game as prep. He bowled poorly, fair enough, but mcDermott and Dodders went for more. he showed his unfulfilled talent with the bat in the second dig. we got smashed by the windies - we always got smashed by the windies. he would have been brilliant in england in 89. but he didn't fit the simmo/border profile - however Greg campbell did. pffffft. the guy took 380 wickets and dominated the Shield for a while. never got the sustained run that a guy like Merv did. can't stand to see him treated so derisively based on 3 tests in 3 years in a dud team with an unsympathetic captain against quality opposition.
jammel
Roar Rookie
I'd like to see Cummins rested for sure - if there's any doubt with his fitness, which it seems there must be! We should also rest up one of Hazelwood or Starc. I'd rest Starc in Adelaide and then Hazlewood in melbourne. I'd go with Hazelwood + Neser + Morris for Adelaide!! Boland gets a go in melbourne then! Cummins can rest up; get to 100%. He shouldn't play T20s to preserve his career IMO. Also he can do some activism while he's resting up :) :)
bungeye
Roar Rookie
This is the perfect opportunity to see what Morris has got. I mean Australia could field a 2nd eleven and still comfortably win against this rabble of a team. We need our fast bowlers fit and firing against South Africa, it makes sense to rest them this test.
Brett Allen
Roar Rookie
I agree, so you play him till he’s gassed, then you sit him.
bowledover
Roar Rookie
I agree Brett, Starc is a rhythm bowler and you see when he is off rhythm. The issue though is Starc has faded as test series wear on when he plays every game... I am not saying this is *always* the case, but certainly in a number of series we have seen it.
Clear as mud
Guest
I have a strict liability law. Hit pad - out! Compensates for the stupidity of the leg bye law (But I was in bed sick watching cricinfo commentary, so I didn’t actually see it. Jumped out after a snooze and saw last 4 overs. Amazeballs!)
Brett Allen
Roar Rookie
You gotta be careful though, bowlers don’t like to be rotated as a rule. They like to stay in rhythm, if they’re bowling well, they just want to keep bowling, and if they’re not, then they want to bowl even more to get that rhythm back. Mitch in particular is a real rhythm bowler, he sprays it the most when he’s struggling for that form. It sounds bad to say it this way, but you got to basically bowl them into the ground and then let them rest when they are gassed.
Pierro
Roar Rookie
they need to use starc wisely as he is a weapon but needs some rotation in series . Adelaide dn , lord's ..oval are three huge hunting grounds for him