Cricket

Australia's hopes of having Michael Neser available as a backup seamer for the Adelaide or Brisbane Tests have been dashed due to a severe hamstring injury. However, there is a glimmer of hope that Jhye Richardson could be considered as an option later in the series if his return to first-class cricket progresses smoothly.Neser, 34, suffered the injury during the opening day of the Australia A match against India A at the MCG. He is expected to be sidelined until the start of the Brisbane Heat's BBL season on December 18. Even without the injury, Neser was unlikely to be selected as Australia's first-choice backup seamer for the Perth Test, with Scott Boland in line behind Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, and Mitchell Starc.Barring an injury in Perth, Australia is unlikely to need Boland for Adelaide given the nine-day break between the first and second Tests. However, there is concern about the three-day turnaround between Adelaide and Brisbane, followed by a seven-day break to Boxing Day and then a three-day gap to Sydney. The quicks themselves and the team management have publicly stated that playing all five Tests without a change, as they did last year, is highly unlikely.If two of the quicks were to go down, as they did in the 2021-22 Ashes and 2022-23 summer, then Australia would need another fast bowler beyond Boland. Neser's unavailability brings the likes of Nathan McAndrew and Sean Abbott into the frame.However, there is hope that Richardson, 28, could be fit enough to be considered as he continues his careful buildback from injury and other physical issues. Richardson took 1 for 19 from five overs at the MCG on Wednesday in his fourth List A game so far this summer to go with two second XI matches. He will not play in Western Australia's upcoming Sheffield Shield game against Victoria at the Junction Oval starting on Friday.But speaking after WA's One-Day Cup loss, Richardson said he was hopeful he could play in WA's day-night Shield game against South Australia at Adelaide Oval, starting November 23, which could also be Lance Morris' first Shield game of the summer.Richardson's last Test match was a pink-ball game in Adelaide in 2021 when he took his maiden Test five-wicket haul against England. But he has endured a horror run with injuries since, including further shoulder and hamstring surgeries. On top of that, he has publicly acknowledged that a mental health battle has affected his physical conditioning.He has been bowling without interruption since his return in IPL 2024 but as a Cricket Australia contracted player, a decision was made during the off-season that his build towards a first-class return would be gradual. There was a period as late as September where it was thought he may not play any red-ball cricket before the BBL.But since then he has strung together four List A games, taking 5 for 63, 3 for 36, 0 for 25, and 1 for 19 and two four-day second XI games for WA.Richardson is still unable to throw from deep in the outfield due to the shoulder issue but he said it was manageable, while acknowledging fielding was an important part of contributing to the team.He was asked whether he thought he could handle playing back-to-back Shield games in late November and early December, before the BBL break. "I hope so," he said. "I think I could."Richardson confirmed he would go in the IPL auction but he did not have a target in mind in terms of his international return.

Injury-prone Australian pace duo Lance Morris and Jhye Richardson are set to make their domestic white-ball returns for Western Australia in the upcoming One-Day Cup. Morris, who has been sidelined since February with a side strain, has been named in WA's 14-man squad for their opening matches against New South Wales and South Australia. Richardson, who has endured a string of hamstring and shoulder injuries in recent seasons, also returns to domestic 50-over cricket after playing in the IPL and Top End T20 Series over the winter.Morris's return is a cautious one, as he will likely only play one of the two matches next week. He will begin a gradual build-up towards a red-ball return, with the aim of being fit for the Sheffield Shield season in October. Richardson's return is also a step forward, but it remains to be seen whether he will be ready for Shield cricket next month.Uncontracted spinner Ashton Agar has also been named in WA's squad, along with veteran fast bowlers Jason Behrendorff and Andrew Tye. Cameron Bancroft is expected to keep wicket for WA in the absence of Josh Inglis, who is on national duty. Former WA opener Josh Philippe will face his old side for the first time on Sunday after moving to New South Wales.WA is aiming to become the first men's team in Australian One-Day domestic history to claim four consecutive titles. They have won five of the last seven tournaments and are looking to extend their dominance.Elsewhere, Nathan Ellis and Riley Meredith will miss Tasmania's opening two One-Day Cup matches due to injuries. Ellis is still recovering from a hamstring injury, while Meredith is undergoing a scan on a side injury sustained during Australia's tour of the UK.

Mental health has become an increasingly prevalent topic in elite sports, with many athletes choosing to address it openly. Australian bowler Jhye Richardson is one such player who has shared his experiences with mental health struggles.During the 2021 Indian Premier League (IPL), Richardson played for the Punjab Kings alongside renowned players like KL Rahul, Chris Gayle, and Mohammed Shami. However, it was during this time that he faced significant mental health challenges."A lot of it started during COVID," Richardson revealed. "My trip to the IPL – I left home not in the headspace that I probably should have been. Then things sort of hit the fan while I was away, and everything with COVID and not being able to get home and stuff like that, it just toppled on top of each other."Richardson emphasized the importance of addressing mental health proactively, even when individuals believe they are coping well. "I think you don't realize what sort of space you're in until it becomes too much," he said. "It's like practicing for the short ball. The more you practice the short ball, the better you're going to be at it when that situation arises out in the middle. It's very similar off the field."Richardson's struggles reached a point where he sought professional intervention. "Everything just got to a point where there was some professional intervention that needed to happen," he explained. "I'm not willing to go into a whole lot of detail, but I just landed in a spot where things were bad enough that I stepped back and said, 'I can't continue thinking the way that I am' and (needed) to get a bit more education and knowledge about how the brain works."Richardson praised Western Australia for providing support during his mental health journey. "A lot of the judgment has gone nowadays," he said. "Within our (WA) group we trust everyone with the way that they want to go about things. People are individuals – they train different ways, they think differently."Richardson's experiences highlight the importance of destigmatizing mental health issues in sports. "The resources within cricket nowadays make the process of dealing with mental health issues a lot easier and there is a lot more education there," he said. "But as someone who has dealt with anxiety, not just on the field but away from cricket and day-to-day living, it can be quite exhausting."

Jhye Richardson, the Australian fast bowler, has returned to the run-up that brought him success in Test cricket, hoping to put his injury woes behind him. Richardson has been plagued by hamstring injuries since his Test debut in 2019, suffering four setbacks since June 2022.Despite his injury struggles, Richardson has been retained on the national contract list, and selectors see him as a potential leader of the Test attack in the future. With the current frontline quicks all over 30, Richardson's fitness is crucial for Australia's long-term plans.Richardson has made a successful return to competitive cricket in the Top End T20 series in Darwin, playing for the Perth Scorchers. He has reverted to his traditional run-up, which sees him sprinting in at speeds of close to 22.5kph from earlier in his run-up."I've played two games [in Darwin], the body has been good," Richardson said. "It's obviously a different intensity playing competitive cricket again."Richardson believes that his previous run-up, which involved reaching top speed closer to the crease, may have contributed to his hamstring injuries. He is now focused on building resilience and avoiding problem areas."I'm trying to avoid problem areas and build that resilience that I haven't had in the past couple of years," Richardson said. "I have put a lot of work into my hamstring, so everyone is comfortable with the fact I can go back to what has worked previously."Richardson's return to fitness is a significant boost for Australia, who are facing a transition in their Test team. With all three frontline quicks over 30, Richardson is the most credentialed man to one day lead the attack."I think [it is important to be fit then], but we are looking pretty far into the future there," he said. "Taking it one step at a time, getting the body right and making sure everything is right on my end, and not worrying about what is happening externally."

Jhye Richardson, a promising Australian fast bowler, is poised to make his long-awaited return to domestic cricket in the upcoming Top End T20 tournament in Darwin. Richardson, who has been sidelined with injuries since January, has been included in the Perth Scorchers' squad for the tournament.Richardson's inclusion is a significant boost for the Scorchers, who are fielding a young squad featuring players on the fringes of the Big Bash League (BBL) and Western Australia sides. The 26-year-old has not played a competitive match in Australia since injuring himself during the BBL, but he made a brief appearance for Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League (IPL) earlier this year.Despite his recent injury setbacks, Richardson remains a highly regarded bowler. He was awarded a Cricket Australia contract in March and has been part of an Australia training camp in Brisbane this week. However, selectors have opted to take a long-term view with Richardson, hoping that he can overcome the injury issues that have hampered his international career."He's fit and firing now, and again looking for match opportunities," national selector George Bailey said last month. "I think he'll get opportunities again across the summer."Richardson will be joined in the Scorchers' squad by fellow quick Matt Kelly, who also missed the latter part of last season due to injury. Batter Sam Fanning has been named captain, while Baxter Holt, who recently moved to Western Australia from New South Wales, is also included."We also see this tournament as an opportunity for Jhye and Kells [Matt Kelly] to find touch in a competitive environment," stand-in coach Tim MacDonald said. "They didn't play a lot of cricket last year but they're a big part of what we do at the Scorchers and WA, so we're looking forward to seeing both of them back in action."The Top End competition will provide Richardson with a valuable opportunity to regain match fitness and prove his readiness for a return to international cricket. The tournament features a strong field of teams, including Northern Territory Strike, Pakistan A, ACT, Melbourne Renegades, Melbourne Stars, and a Bangladesh High Performance side.

Australia's selectors are taking a cautious approach with promising pace bowlers Lance Morris and Jhye Richardson, prioritizing their long-term health and durability. Morris, who has faced recurring back stress fractures, is currently undergoing rehabilitation and is expected to return to action during the upcoming summer. Richardson, who has also been hampered by injuries, is fit and eager to prove his worth.National selector George Bailey emphasized the importance of setting up Morris and Richardson for success in the long run. "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," Bailey said about Morris.Richardson, who has not played for Australia since mid-2022, is also eager to regain his place in the national team. "He's fit and firing now, and again looking for match opportunities," Bailey said. "I think he'll get opportunities again across the summer."The durability of Australia's established pace trio of Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, and Pat Cummins has limited opportunities for emerging bowlers. However, with Cummins set to miss the UK tour and Starc skipping the T20Is, Morris and Richardson could get valuable game time.Bailey acknowledged the need to manage the workloads of Starc, Hazlewood, and Cummins, especially with the five-Test series against India looming later this year. "As far as the fast bowling group goes, think we've got a pretty exciting bunch there that we haven't had the opportunity to get a lot of games into across the formats predominantly because we've had a highly successful and robust senior group of fast bowlers," Bailey said.Other emerging quicks, such as Xavier Bartlett, Spencer Johnson, and Nathan Ellis, are also in contention for selection. Will Sutherland, who has also been plagued by back injuries, was not considered for the latest squads.