Victoria spinner Jon Holland and WA quick Jhye Richardson surprise picks for South African Test tour
HE may be a foot shorter than the rest of Australia’s pace attack, but a 21-year-old bolt from the blue has been backed as the country’s new 145km/h enforcer to terrorise South Africa.
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Jhye Richardson was told by junior coaches he was too small to bowl fast.
Yet despite giving away the best part of a foot in height to the rest of the Australian attack, the 21-year-old bolt from the blue has been backed in as the country’s new 145km/h enforcer to terrorise South Africa.
On Monday Richardson was plucked from the same kind of obscurity as Pat Cummins was for the corresponding tour of South Africa way back in 2011, and with just five Sheffield Shield matches under his belt the West Australian rookie is in the frame for a stunning debut against one of the world’s best sides in March.
The back seat of the bus reserved for Australia’s fast bowling cartel is the land of the giants with Mitchell Starc (197cm), Josh Hazlewood (196cm), Pat Cummins (192cm) and Jackson Bird (195cm) towering over batsmen.
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Richardson stands at just 178cm and is weighs in just over 70kg wringing wet, but he has been welcomed warmly into the fold following chronic injuries to high voltage options James Pattinson and Nathan Coulter-Nile.
Australia once again overlooked South Australian Chadd Sayers because they felt he is too same-same to seamer Bird, and so Richardson was called up because he bowls with the kind of speed that could see him fill the shoes of a Starc or Cummins if they were struck down by injury.
It’s a good thing Richardson didn’t listen to those telling him he wasn’t built for fast bowling.
“(It happened) actually quite a lot,” said Richardson.
“I’m only 70 odd kg and 178cm tall so I’m not the biggest unit around.
“But it’s always something in your head that you always want to prove people wrong and I think that’s been my attitude from the start.
“If someone is going to beat me down, why not prove them wrong.”
Cummins’ famous Test debut in Johannesburg seven years ago where he announced himself to the world with an incredible man-of-the-match performance in just his fourth first-class game has gone down in cricketing folklore.
Richardson was in his early high school years back then, but it will serve as his inspiration for a potential date with the likes of AB de Villiers, Hashim Amla and Faf du Plessis.
He can’t explain the physics behind how he bowls so fast, all Richardson knows is he can.
“It reiterates the mindset you have and saying that if he can do it at the same young age, why can’t I do it?,” said Richardson.
“There’s going to be a lot of people that put me down for not having the experience at this sort of level, but if I can go in being as confident as I am right now I think I’ll be able to get the job done.
“(How do I bowl so fast) is a question I get asked a lot actually and I don’t really know what to tell people.
“Growing up my brother was always a spin bowler so something different in the family is always good. I think it’s just a combination of having the right rhythm and having the right body parts going in the right direction.”
Former pace ace Mitchell Johnson is a huge fan of Richardson and the first buzz on his phone was from his new fast bowling bretheran.
Ashton Agar was given a sobering wake-up call that he is not yet good enough to be picked as a specialist spinner in Test cricket.
In conditions that warrant two spinners Agar is first picked because of his all-round game, but selectors voted for Victorian Jon Holland as the best man to serve as Nathan Lyon’s direct shadow.
Holland would only play if Lyon gets hurt.
Meanwhile, as expected, Australia have decided not to pick a direct shadow for Cameron Bancroft, with National Selector Trevor Hohns providing the opener the ultimate show of faith.
Peter Handscomb is the only back-up batsman in the squad.
“It’s absolutely a vote of confidence in Cameron Bancroft,” said Hohns.
“He’s the type of player we love having there at the moment. He’s the type of player that seems he could excel in Test cricket. We do have other options for openers (Shaun Marsh and Usman Khawaja) if something needs to happen in that areas.
“We feel adequately covered anywhere in the batting line-up with the personnel we have available to there to cover any position that may become available.”
AUSTRALIAN TEST SQUAD FOR SOUTH AFRICA:
Steve Smith (c), David Warner, Cameron Bancroft, Jackson Bird, Pat Cummins, Peter Handscomb, Josh Hazlewood, Jon Holland, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Shaun Marsh, Tim Paine, Jhye Richardson, Mitchell Starc
AUSTRALIAN T20 SQUAD:
David Warner (captain), Aaron Finch, Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Ben Dwarshuis, Travis Head, Chris Lynn, Glenn Maxwell, Kane Richardson, D’Arcy Short, Billy Stanlake, Marcus Stoinis, Andrew Tye, Adam Zampa