Cricket World Cup 2019: Aussies explain why Kane Richardson got replacement nod over Josh Hazlewood

When settling on a replacement in the World Cup XV, Justin Langer deviated from sheer weight of numbers and went for a player who was once earmarked never to play for Australia again.

Kane Richardson has picked up five wickets in two World Cup games.

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The good bloke factor helped Kane Richardson seal the final place in Australia’s World Cup squad with Josh Hazlewood repeatedly overlooked because he barely touched a white ball in 2018.

Hazlewood said last month it was too hard to watch the World Cup because of the pain of being overlooked despite recovering in time from stress fractures in his back.

The 2015 World Cup winner is in England with Australia A, taking 1-24 (10 overs, four maidens) and 2-51 (10 overs, one maiden) in their 50-over tour of the shires.

Coach Justin Langer said that Hazlewood was the obvious choice based on statistics, but selectors looked beyond the numbers when they picked the 15-man squad.

Kane Richardson has picked up five wickets in two World Cup games.

Richardson received a late call-up, replacing namesake Jhye Richardson when he failed to recover from a dislocated shoulder in time.

“If you went to pure statistics we would’ve gone to Josh Hazlewood, because his numbers are outstanding,” Langer said.

“But he hasn’t played any white-ball cricket for 18 months and he’s coming back off double stress fractures (in his back).

“It can’t just be on numbers, and Kane did well In JLT Cup, in Big Bash.

“He’s a brilliant death bowler and middle-over bowler. He’s very good at his slower balls, he’s very good at hitting his yorker.

“When we sit down in selection as well, every single player in this squad is selected because they can play a role for us.

Kane Richardson has done well in limited opportunities.

“In Kane Richardson’s case he can play the role of bowling at the death and bowling in the middle overs.

“He’s a good fielder, he can hold a bat and he’s also really low maintenance in the group. He’s a really good person in the group.

“That’s a good package so that’s why he gets selected.”

Langer dropped Kane Richardson after a nightmare T20 against England last year, when he dropped Jason Roy and leaked 59 runs from four overs.

“I never thought he’d play cricket for Australia again. I didn’t think he had the bottle,” Langer said recently.

But Richardson bounced back, taking the most wickets in the Big Bash with his variations at the death helping Melbourne Renegades win the league.

Josh Hazlewood is currently on the Australia A tour of England.

Richardson, 28, has played two out of eight World Cup games and bowled beautifully, jagging five wickets against Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

He dismissed Sri Lanka captain Dimuth Karunaratne three runs shy of a century to help blunt their aggressive start in what Langer described as a critical clash at The Oval.

Richardson, a popular teammate in the tight-knit camp, is close friends with Marcus Stoinis and fellow vegan Adam Zampa.

Hazlewood played six ODIs in 2018 but has not played a T20 for Australia since 2016.

He is certain to be selected in the Ashes squad and resting for that was factored in by the selectors.