WA and Perth Scorchers quick is eyeing a return to competitive cricket ‘very soon’
Jhye Richardson is back bowling off his full run-up and is hopeful of putting his name in contention for the back-end of the Ashes series should Australia need fast-bowling reinforcements.
Richardson had surgery to stabalise his troublesome right shoulder in January and nine months on he told cricket.com.au the joint was feeling as good as it had in some time.
“The shoulder is presenting stable at the moment, so that’s all we can ask for after the issues that I’ve had over the last four or five years,” he said today at the KFC BBL’s kit launch in Melbourne.
“To have a stable shoulder currently is certainly a new feeling … hopefully it stays that way.”
The 29-year-old first dislocated his bowling shoulder while fielding during an ODI in 2019 and after years of issues, opted for surgery after again dislocating the joint high-fiving teammates while celebrating a wicket in a Sheffield Shield match last November.
The right-arm quick said conversations with Australian men’s coach Andrew McDonald and captain Pat Cummins during a brief stint in the Test squad last summer convinced him surgery was a chance worth taking.
“Patty actually made a really good point to me, which probably tipped me over the edge to get surgery,” Richardson said.
“(He asked), ‘what would I regret more post my career; would I regret staying the same knowing what I’ve got with my shoulder and what I’m dealing with, or would I regret not throwing everything at it and wondering what could have been?’.
“So that was probably the main one for me to go and get it done and at least now, if for whatever reason, it doesn’t work, at least I know that I’ve thrown everything at it and given it the best shot.”
Richardson, who took eight wickets in five games for Perth Scorchers last summer before going under the knife, started bowling off his full run-up about two weeks ago and said he would be ready to go in competitive matches again once his ball speed returns.
He is aiming to build up his workloads in club cricket for Fremantle and Western Australia’s Second XI before making his domestic comeback in the One-Day Cup and eventually Shield cricket before the Big Bash.
Barring any setbacks, being available for Test cricket towards the end of the Ashes also remains a possibility, but Richardson isn’t looking too far ahead.
“Ideally, Test cricket would be great,” he said.
“That’s been my goal for a long time now but it’s definitely session-by-session purely based on how it feels.
“You can’t push these things; it’s never a linear process but things are looking good at the moment.
“I’m off my full run now, bowling in the nets competitively so that’s a good start.
“From where I was three or four weeks ago and I was struggling to bowl 90 to 100kph, so I’m making good progress and the only limiting factor is just getting the ball speed back, which will come.”
But if he doesn’t quite make it back to international intensity for the Ashes, Richardson is set to line up for the Scorchers as they launch the BBL|15 season against Sydney Sixers on Sunday, December 14.
