Missed 'gamble' that could haunt Australia

1 year ago 60

Unleashing Western Australian velocity demon Lance Morris successful Adelaide would person been "the gambling presumption to take" and selectors "should person taken that opportunity", according to Ian Chappell.

The erstwhile Test captain has swiped Australia for picking the safer options of Scott Boland and Michael Neser for the 2nd lucifer against the West Indies, aft being forced to telephone upon extent pursuing injuries to Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood.

Enticed by a nine-wicket lucifer haul successful the Sheffield Shield and an onslaught of 150km/h-plus thunderbolts, Australia's selectors added Morris to the squad for the Adelaide Test aft Cummins succumbed to a quad injury.

But Boland replaced Cummins and Neser filled successful for Hazlewood arsenic Australia thrashed the West Indies by 419 runs.

Chappell revealed his disagreement with the snubbing of Morris up of the archetypal Test betwixt Australia and South Africa successful Brisbane, acceptable to statesman connected Saturday.

"You've got to find out if blokes tin bash it astatine Test level," Chappell told Wide World of Sports.

"Now, you cognize whoever you prime is astir apt going to bash each close against the West Indies due to the fact that they're not precise good.

"But to me, determination was an accidental to person a look astatine Morris successful Adelaide and I'm amazed that they didn't. To maine that would person been the affirmative and the gambling presumption to take, but they didn't instrumentality it.

"Now, I mean, you play Neser, you play Boland, it doesn't substance against (the West Indies).

"You had an accidental to play Morris and find retired what helium could bash astatine Test level. So I deliberation they should person taken that opportunity."

Morris, 24, has taken 59 first-class wickets astatine the mean of 25.08 and strike-rate of 41.2.

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The right-armer had New South Wales successful ruins during a Sheffield Shield lucifer successful October, which saw him seizure 5 wickets successful the archetypal innings and 4 scalps successful the third.

Arguably Australia's top accelerated bowler successful history, Dennis Lillee, has offered Morris immoderate mentoring.

"I said to him, 'You've got a bully aboriginal successful this crippled if you enactment hard astatine it'," Lillee told The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age this month.

Morris could beryllium utilized successful adjacent year's Ashes circuit arsenic a counterattack to Jofra Archer, the right-arm England speedy who peaks astatine 150km/h and beyond.

"If they'd recovered retired that Morris has got a accidental astatine Test level (in Adelaide) past you mightiness person had him acceptable for this Brisbane Test," Chappell said.

"You play either Neser oregon you play Boland, you're not going to beryllium embarrassed; they're some going to bash a decent job.

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"But the happening astir Morris is he's got genuine gait and there's not a hellhole of a batch of those blokes around.

"And arsenic Andy Roberts said, the large accelerated bowler from the West Indies, you've got to play blokes portion they're inactive fast. So, if they're fast, play them.

"I cognize he's precise accelerated and I cognize what acquisition I had with accelerated bowlers.

"So, therefore, I thought that helium should person been fixed an opportunity."

Cummins volition instrumentality for the Gabba Test but Hazlewood remains unavailable owed to a broadside strain, with Boland retaining his spot successful the Australian XI and Neser getting squeezed out.

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