After Australian stalwart Josh Hazlewood was ruled out of the second Ashes Test, two candidates have emerge to replace the star quick.
Former Australian paceman Brett Lee believes West Australian seamer Jhye Richardson is the “obvious choice” to replace the injured Josh Hazlewood for the second Ashes Test at Adelaide Oval.
On Monday morning, Cricket Australia confirmed that Hazlewood would be unavailable for this week’s pink-ball Test in Adelaide due to a side strain he sustained in Brisbane.
The 30-year-old was feeling “a little bit sore” after the Gabba victory, during which he claimed match figures of 3/74 from 27 overs.
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“Hazlewood returned to Sydney yesterday afternoon for further assessment and rehabilitation with a decision on his fitness for the Boxing Day Test to be made in due course,” CA said in a statement.
The Bendemeer Bullet will be sorely missed in Adelaide – he has taken 32 wickets at 19.90 in day-night Test matches since 2015. Hazelwood has dismissed England captain Joe Root on eight occasions in Test cricket, more than any other bowler.
Queensland’s Michael Neser and Richardson are the two leading candidates to replace Hazlewood in the starting XI for the pink-ball Test at Adelaide Oval, which gets underway on Thursday.
Richardson claimed six wickets during his only two Test matches against Sri Lanka in January 2019, while Neser is still waiting for a coveted Baggy Green.
Lee, who claimed 310 wickets in 76 Test matches for Australia, says the national selectors should back Richardson to make his Ashes debut this week.
“The obvious choice is for Jhye to come in,” Lee told news.com.au, speaking on behalf of Foxtel’s Ton of Cricket.
“He’ll get that pink ball to talk. He’s a guy that’s got beautiful shape, he shapes the ball out to the right-handed batsman.
“It has to be Richo, I think he’ll compliment the side very well.”
Neser has been on the verge of a Test debut for three years, serving as Australia’s 12th man on 16 occasions in the game’s longest format, and would be considered the closest like-for-like replacement for Hazlewood.
“If you’re looking like-for-like, Michael Neser’s probably a little more like Hazlewood, and you’d probably say that Jhye Richardson’s a bit more like a Pat Cummins,” former Australian Test captain Mark Taylor told Wide World of Sports.
“If it were Starc or Cummins who were out, I think Richardson would be straight in, particularly as he was the 12th man for this Test. But with Neser taking five wickets (for Australia A), and he’s a bit more of that stump-to-stump, slight outswing bowler, he’ll come into consideration.”
Neser has been one the most consistent seamers in Australian domestic cricket over the past few years, taking 87 Sheffield Shield wickets at 21.62 since September 2018.
The 31-year-old reminded national selectors of his worth with a classy performance in the Australia A fixture against the England Lions, where he claimed match figures of 7/65 from 29.3 overs.
But Richardson is coming off a stellar run of form leading into the Ashes – he has taken 23 wickets at 13.43 in the Sheffield Shield this summer, more than any other pace bowler in the first-class competition.
Most wickets in 2021/22 Sheffield Shield
25 at 26.56 – Matthew Kuhnemann (QLD)
23 at 13.43 – Jhye Richardson (WA)
21 at 17.76 – Mark Steketee (QLD)
18 at 25.55 – Nathan McAndrew (SA)
15 at 10.80 – Scott Boland (VIC)
“Neser’s definitely in the mix, but I think they’ll go with Richo just because he was next cap off the rank,” Lee said.
“Hazlewood is more of a McGrath-like impeccable line and length – gets a bit of shape on the ball, does a bit off the seamer – whereas Jhye’s more of a skiddy, quicker bowler that will shape the ball away.
“But if they go with Michael, obviously that’s a good replacement as well.”
The second Ashes Test between Australia and England gets underway at Adelaide on Thursday, with the first ball scheduled for 3pm AEDT.