Australia National Selector George Bailey Backs Pace Duo Jhye Richardson, Lance Morris To Get ‘Some International Opportunities’

Australia will tour the UK to face Scotland and England to engage in the white-ball series. The Baggy Greens will play a three-match T20I series against Scotland in September.

Sydney: Australia’s national selector, George Bailey, believes that the pace duo of Lance Morris and Jhye Richardson will get opportunities to play for the Baggy Greens as the selectors look to set them up for success in the long term.

Morris made his ODI debut for Australia last season against the West Indies and was also a part of the Test squad. He suffered a side strain, which ruled him out for the entire summer.

He is currently working through rehab from a stress back injury that kept him out of action during the winter.

“Lance is still working through his return to play and getting himself right recovering from that stress fracture of the back. Know he’s progressing well, he’s feeling good, he’s starting to get to that point where he wants some cricket and think, he’s going to get a hell of a lot of it over the summer, and that will be really exciting to see him back,” Bailey said, as quoted from ESPNcricinfo.

“Felt a little bit like with him, that we wanted to set him up for success in the long term as opposed to pushing that too early then potentially risking what we think is something that could be really exciting across this summer and beyond,” he added.

Richardson and Morris were given Cricket Australia central contracts earlier this year.

Richardson, who made his last appearance for Australia in 2022, went through a disrupted domestic season after he suffered a side strain. He made a single appearance for the Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024.

“Jhye is in a similar boat. He’s fit and firing now and again looking for match opportunities. I think he’ll get opportunities again across the summer. For both [him and Morris], I think it’s getting through the season fit and then hopefully maximising the amount of cricket they play. Some of that will be domestic. Hopefully, there will be some international opportunities, [and] Australia A opportunities, then I think we set them up for success in the long term,” Bailey added.

Australia will tour the UK to face Scotland and England to engage in the white-ball series. The Baggy Greens will play a three-match T20I series against Scotland in September. Australia will also play three T20Is and five ODIs against England later in the month.