Australia v West Indies: Lance Morris, Michael Neser set to join team as cover for Pat Cummins

Pace legend Jeff Thomson says it is time for explosive fast bowler Lance ‘The Wild Thing’ Morris to play Test cricket, and his justification won’t impress the Windies.

Former Test tearaway Jeff Thomson believes Australia should “unleash the beast’’ and play explosive fast bowler Lance ‘The Wild Thing’ Morris against the West Indies in Adelaide.

Thomson, who clocked around 160kmh and is generally considered the fastest bowler to have played the game, believes the West Australian quick who is the summer’s leading Sheffield Shield wicket-taker can be a pink ball destroyer at the Adelaide Oval with captain Pat Cummins (quad) in serious doubt.

“You need someone to stir things up,’’ Thomson said of Morris who stops the speed gun at 150kmh.

“Just let him go … it makes it a lot easier for the blokes at the other end when you have got someone of real pace.

“All the other blokes are the same pace — they are not super fast.

“The West Indies Test is the perfect time to play him. It’s not as if you are playing India. What is there to lose?

“It’s hard to find quick bowlers and we haven’t had a really scary one since Mitchell Johnson. The problem is the amount of cricket they play. Blokes bowl within themselves. If you find one throw him in and see what he’s got.’’

Australian coach Andrew McDonald admits Cummins is only a 50-50 proposition, with less than a week to recover from a quad strain, while selectors also want to see how Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc pull up off a short turnaround before they are confirmed as starters for Adelaide.

Lance Morris deserves his opportunity to play against the Windies, says former Australian bowling great Jeff Thompson. Picture: Daniel Kalisz/Getty Images

As first revealed by News Corp, pink ball specialist Michael Neser has also been flown to Adelaide along with Morris after impressing under lights last summer against England in the Queenslander’s one and only Test. Neser has 24 wickets at just 14.5 this summer.

MCG miracle man Scott Boland is almost certain to be the man to replace Cummins if the skipper is ruled out of the second Test, but ‘The Wild Thing’ and Neser are in contention if selectors and medical staff have any concerns over Hazlewood and Starc after they bowled more than 40 overs each in Perth.

Morris, 24, bowls express heat and with 27 wickets at 18.40 from just five matches for WA, is the standout Sheffield Shield performer this season.

“He’s right up there with the quickest I’ve ever seen,” WA’s fast bowling guru Matt Mason told Code Sports.

“My mind goes back to a game last year in Tasmania. He hit 152km/h in his first over of the day, that’s extreme pace.”

McDonald confirmed Hazlewood and Starc need to be ticked off as well as Cummins who will have to face a fitness test on Wednesday to play.

“Yeah, it does factor them in. It’s a short turn around. We’ll see how they pull up tomorrow,” McDonald said.

“We’ll assess those bodies. We’ve got to respect the short turn around.

“At the moment as it sits they’ve pulled up well, both Josh and Mitch.

“Patty’s obviously the major concern.

“We feel as though he’s 50/50 for the next Test match at the moment.

“Scott Boland is sitting on the bench at the moment with a test average under 10 or something ridiculous like that. So we feel as though we’ve got options to cover.”

McDonald denied Cummins would have extra say over his availability because he’s captain.

McDonald said the approach from selectors would be identical to any normal decision over fast bowler fitness, albeit Cummins’ leadership does provide an extra layer of consideration. Cummins could be given until match day on Thursday to prove himself.

“I think it’s the same conversation in terms of (are you) fit and available to perform,” McDonald said.

“The conversation is that and then the extra layer is he’s our captain.

Lance Morris stops the speed gun at 150kmh and could prove quite a handful for the Windies.

“We’ve got great coverage but first and foremost (the question) is if he’s available, then are we risking potentially South Africa first Test and deeper into the summer?

“The medical team will assess him. Once he’s out of their hands then he’s over to us to make those decisions.

“They do zero the day before generally so we can leave that (call) to the day of the game in all honesty. Right up to the toss if we want.

“We can assess him, give him potentially a light run the day before and then see how he pulls up on the day of the game.

“He’s our captain, we’re going to give him every chance to get out there and when we saw even the way he martialled the troops out there (in Perth) was impressive, albeit he wasn’t bowling himself.”

‘Wild Thing’ bolts into Test frame as Cummins races clock

Pink ball specialist Michael Neser and 150km/h bolter Lance “The Wild Thing” Morris are set to be called in as cover for Australia’s bowling attack for the second Test in Adelaide.

Australia has called on two extra bowlers as cover with captain Pat Cummins under a major fitness cloud for the second Test, and Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc to also be assessed after big workloads in Perth bowling a man down.

Scott Boland will be next cab off the rank should Cummins or a different bowler be ruled out, but if multiple quicks are rested in Adelaide then a bolter could come into the mix.

Michael Neser is set to be added as cover for Australia’s attack. Picture: Getty Images

News Corp understands Neser is poised to join the squad after debuting in last summer’s Adelaide pink ball Test against England.

The fact Neser has been in and around the Australian group for a long time has worked in his favour.

Neser had a solid debut against England last summer and could be in the mix for another Test.

Lance Morris could also be on his way to Adelaide to join the Australian squad. Picture: Getty Images

In exciting move for Australia cricket, 24-year-old WA quick Morris, who bowls at 150kmh and is nicknamed ‘Wild Thing’, is also on his way to Adelaide.

Morris was impressive in the last Shield match against Queensland taking five wickets, and has a career record of 59 wickets at an average of 25 across 18 first class matches.

If the right arm quick is called into the squad it would be a point to the future.

Originally published as Australia v West Indies: Lance Morris, Michael Neser set to join team as cover for Pat Cummins