Cricket news: Stuart Clark urges selectors to recall Josh Hazlewood, consider Usman Khawaja batting at six
A former Aussie quick has devised a surprising solution to help Australia cover the loss of Mitchell Starc and Cameron Green for the SCG Test and thrown another name into the all-rounder mix.
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Former fast bowler Stuart Clark has urged Australian selectors to resist blooding fiery quick Lance Morris in Sydney, calling for Josh Hazlewood to join Scott Boland and Pat Cummins instead.
An injury cloud hangs over the Australian XI with Mitchell Starc (finger) in doubt despite continuing to bowl in Melbourne and Cameron Green (broken finger) ruled out.
Murmurs over a possible debut for 24-year-old West Australian Lance Morris bubbled away on Wednesday, but Clark called on chief selector George Bailey to stick with a tried and tested line-up.
“Josh Hazlewood’s a world-class performer, Boland deserves every test match he’s played – he’s been great every time he’s played,” Clark told News Corp.
“I’m all for blooding people, but Lance Morris will get his go at some stage. I wouldn’t be picking him for Sydney.”
Clark is also opposed to calls for Alex Carey to move up the order to No. 6, allowing for a bowling all-rounder such as Michael Neser to bat at No. 7, arguing six batters, a wicketkeeper and four bowlers remained the proven team structure.
“Pick whoever’s the best batter first,” he said.
“As well as Carey batted today, you pick six batters. If that’s Will Sutherland, so be it. Aaron Hardie’s one that’s come up, Beau Webster’s name’s been bandied around.
“One of the other options is maybe pick Marcus Harris to open and bat Usman at six.
“There’s no easy answer to it, because Green’s almost irreplaceable.”
Glenn McGrath said it would be “interesting to see” Morris’ “raw pace” on show, adding Sean Abbott’s name had been “thrown up” for the spot left vacant by Green.
On the perennial end-of-year debate on playing two spinners in Sydney, McGrath said: “It’s always an option, there’s no doubt about that.”
That option could be amplified by the fact selectors might have one eye on the upcoming India tour in February, past players said.
However, Clark said the Sydney pitch hadn’t offered much for spinners in recent times and that Australia had decent part-time options including Marnus Labuschagne and Travis Head if needed.
“Unless it’s a dust bowl — we don’t know until we get up there — I’d be sticking with the tried and tested,” Clark said.
Mike Hussey agreed, pointing out that the Sydney pitch was occasionally presented with a green top, which would be more conducive to seam bowling.
Australia hasn’t opted for two spinners in Sydney since 2017, when Lyon teamed up with Steve O’Keefe against Pakistan.
AUSSIES POISED TO UNLEASH ‘WILD THING’ IN SYDNEY
Peter Lalor
Lance Morris, the most exciting fast bowler in Australian cricket, looks set to make his debut in the Sydney Test.
With Cameron Green is out of the decider with a broken finger and Mitchell Starc with a torn ligament, even more changes could be in the wind.
In a worst-case scenario even Scott Boland and Pat Cummins could be rested if their workloads in the second innings at the MCG are too heavy.
Morris, who has picked up the moniker “wild thing”, bowls in excess of 150kmh and was brought into the squad in Adelaide as cover for Mitchell Starc, while Boland came in as cover for Josh Hazlewood.
It would be a terrible blow for Hazlewood if he was overlooked as he has missed a lot of cricket in the past 12 months, but there may be more opportunities at the SCG depending on South Africa’s resistance.
Coach Andrew McDonald indicated that Morris could make his debut, saying they were focused on the balance of the squad and “we always look to complement the attack”.
“There’s clearly a role there for him, if Mitchell Starc was to go down, so he may be looking like he’ll get an opportunity in Sydney depending on the balance of that attack.”
Reports from NSW are that Sydney will be dry and favour slow bowling.
“If we bring a spinner into the squad for Sydney it will be based on the conditions,” he told SEN.
“There’s a lot of cricket still left here, there’s a decent gap between this Test and the next one as well. It’s not a three-day turnaround as some have been.”
Replacing Cameron Green is more difficult and highlights the unique value he brings to the side with both his batting and bowling.
Mitch Marsh is injured, but both Ricky Ponting and Kerry O’Keeffe suggest that young West Australian all-rounder Aaron Hardie could come into the team.
Hardie averages 44 from 19 first-class matches and has 41 wickets and was on the Australia A tour of Sri Lanka this year.
“If I was George Bailey, my bowling attack for Sydney would be Cummins, Boland, Aaron Hardie, Nathan Lyon and Todd Murphy,” O’Keeffe said on Fox Cricket.
“I’d bring in Aaron Hardie for Cameron Green and I’d bring in the second spinner on a Sydney Cricket Ground turner.
“And the second-best spinner is also an off-spinner, so I’d go with him.”
Ponting was of the same mind.
“The most recognisable like-for-like I can think of for Cam Green’s replacement for Sydney is someone like Aaron Hardie. Another West Australian all-rounder. Very talented youngster,” he said.
“We have seen him probably make his mark on the shorter forms of the game so far more than anything else but he did get a hundred in the Shield final last year.
“And (he) can bowl some handy overs. Bit of a smoky there.”
Broken finger disarms summer’s $3m man
Cameron Green, the hero of Australia’s first innings bowling effort in the Boxing Day Test, has a broken finger, leaving the hosts almost 200 runs ahead but two bowlers down.
Australian coach Andrew McDonald confirmed Green’s fractured finger on SEN this morning.
McDonald confirmed that Mitchell Starc could yet bowl in the second innings in Melbourne despite an injury which is expected to sideline him for six weeks while Green will be unable to bowl, but will bat with the “small fracture” if necessary.
Green, 23, took 5-27 in the best performance of his career on day one of the Test and picked up $3.15 million at the IPL auction on Friday.
McDonald flagged a possible Test debut for Western Australian tearaway left-armer Lance Morris in Sydney as a like-for-like replacement for Mitch Starc.
McDonald also suggested that if a second spinner were selected in Sydney, it would be the player who best compliments the attack, not necessarily the second best spinner in Australia.
This could pave the way for left-armer Ashton Agar to replace Cameron Green due to his ability with the bat.
Kerry O’Keefe has urged Australian selectors to name Western Australian all-rounder Aaron Hardie as a Test bolter for Sydney to replace Cameron Green.
Green has been ruled out of the SCG Test and will not take part in the BBL, with O’Keefe floating his Perth Scorchers teammate Hardie as a like-for-like replacement for the third Test against South Africa.
Hardie averages 44 from 19 first-class matches and has 41 wickets.
The 23-year-old has been earmarked as a potential Australian player, featuring on the Australia A tour of Sri Lanka this year.
“If I was George Bailey, my bowling attack for Sydney would be Cummins, Boland, Aaron Hardie, Nathan Lyon and Todd Murphy,” O’Keefe said on Fox Cricket.
“I’d bring in Aaron Hardie for Cameron Green and I’d bring in the second spinner on a Sydney Cricket Ground turner.
“And the second best spinner is also an off-spinner, so I’d go with him.”
Former Aussie Test skipper Ricky Ponting agreed with O’Keefe’s Hardie assessment, telling Channel 7: “The most recognisable like-for-like I can think of for Cam Green’s replacement for Sydney is someone like Aaron Hardie.
“Another West Australian all-rounder. Very talented youngster. We have seen him probably make his mark on the shorter forms of the game so far more than anything else but he did get a hundred in the Shield final last year.
“And (he) can bowl some handy overs. Bit of a smoky there.”
Double injury blow rocks Aussie bowling stocks
– Russell Gould and Ben Horne
Injuries to Mitchell Starc and golden boy Cameron Green have suddenly darkened the glow of a dominant home summer and David Warner’s dazzling double-century at the MCG.
While Warner was up and walking around the change rooms post-match after spending much of Tuesday afternoon cramping badly, the news around Green was more troubling.
Sent in to bat when Warner limped from the field late in the third session, Green was smacked in the hand by a searing 145kmh from fired up South African quick Anrich Nortje which breached the young gun’s glove.
The blow drew blood with the sight of Green’s damaged index finger on his bowling hand enough to force him to retire hurt and cause shudders in the Australian dressing room with a match in Melbourne to be won before the final test in Sydney and a tour of India to follow.
Green was sent for scans after his digit was split open with the results to determine the course of recovery which could stretch to an unwanted period should they reveal a break.
It could also leave the Aussies two bowlers down for the push towards what should be a likely victory at the MCG although the official message is Starc could still bowl if needed.
But it’s believed Starc has already been ruled out of the Sydney Test and could be racing the clock to be fit for the start India tour having damaged the tendon in the top of the middle finger of his bowling hand.
That could mean up to 4-6 weeks with the finger in a splint, a scenario potentially facing Green too.
The first Test against India in Nagpur is due to start on February 9, giving the duo just over six weeks to get themselves up and going again.
While Starc will be able to stay in top physical condition, it’s unknown whether there will be any hindrance to him getting his required bowling loads up to be available for that first Test.
Losing Starc for a Test in India would be a massive blow given he was a crucial pillar in Australia’s two-man pace attack for the subcontinental tours of Pakistan and Sri Lanka this year.
Green will play a crucial role in India with his all-round abilities giving selectors scope to play a second spinner, or more, on the expected turning tracks
The injuries come as a flu bug makes its way through the Australian squad with Smith revealing he was “pretty crook” still having battled illness in the days before the game.
After the retirements of Warner and then Green, Smith, who was out for 85, joked that spinner Nathan Lyon was “padded up, and we were only three wickets down”.
Smith said the stifling heat only added to the issues.
“It wasn’t the most comfortable day of the crease. Yeah, boys were cramping, left, right and centre,” he said.
“I’ve been pretty crook actually the last few days and had the flu so it wasn’t much fun out there. Every time we ran two or three I was just trying to suck in a few deep breaths and take as much time as I could.”
But Smith said Warner could yet return to the field on Wednesday, when Australia eventually takes to the field.
“He’s had some fluids. He’s been in the ice bath. He was having some food before,” Smith said.
“So hopefully he can pull up well and get out there next tomorrow.”
While Green’s injury is yet to rule him out of the SCG Test, Australia will have to find a replacement for Starc in Sydney – with a number of selection possibilities on the table.
The simplest move would be to simply bring Josh Hazlewood back in for Starc, given the big right-armer should be 100 per cent for his home Test at the SCG after nearly getting back from a side strain for Melbourne.
However, if selectors decide to go like for like, a Test debut for Lance “The Wild Thing” Morris could be a real possibility in Sydney.
Morris has been kept with the squad and it would be thrilling to see his 150km/h thunderbolts unleashed in Test cricket.
The talk has been since the last Sheffield Shield match played by NSW at the SCG this summer, that the pitch might finally be set to return to its spinning roots for the New Year’s Test.
Australia is likely to call a second spinner into the squad and perhaps for the first time in a long time, Nathan Lyon might be given a slow-bowling partner in crime in the attack.
Victorian youngster Todd Murphy is understood to be next cab off the rank for Australia’s spin stocks and is set to tour India, but the question remains whether selectors could pick to right-arm off-spinners in the same XI, particularly for a home Test, and when Travis Head is also already in the line-up.
Left-armer Ashton Agar and leg-spinner Mitchell Swepson shape as the other two candidates.
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