'Outstanding' gamble Aussies must take after injuries

1 year ago 77

As its wounded toll grows, Cricket Australia could beryllium forced to instrumentality a stab successful the acheronian with its selections for the 3rd Test against South Africa.

After dislocating the apical of his near mediate finger, left-arm gait bowler Mitchel Starc looks similar he'll beryllium retired the bid finale astatine the Sydney Cricket Ground, which begins adjacent Wednesday.

A fractured scale digit for Cameron Green has ruled him retired of bowling duties astatine the Melbourne Cricket Ground and he'll subsequently miss the forthcoming lucifer too.

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While Josh Hazlewood is expected to beryllium an inclusion successful Sydney, Australia present needs to find different bowler oregon all-rounder to plug the gaps.

Already determination are a fewer unfamiliar names being floated arsenic imaginable replacements, including 2 West Australians.

Had Glenn Maxwell not obliterated his leg, 1 would person to deliberation he'd person been a shoo-in – if not already successful the squad.

Instead, his summertime is being spent connected the sidelines.

So, wherever does that permission Australian selectors?

Evidently, it appears there's 1 antheral who's already successful the crosshairs.

Aaron Hardie

Little-known West Australian Aaron Hardie has been tipped by Ricky Ponting and Kerry O'Keeffe to instrumentality Green's spot successful the squad.

By each accounts, Hardie is simply a adjacent lucifer for Green with batting and bowling quality to capable that all-rounder role.

"He's down Cameron Green arsenic an all-rounder – but I've watched him for immoderate clip – I deliberation he's an outstanding talent," said Fox Sports commentator O'Keeffe.

"He bats similar Cameron Green, precise beardown down the ground. He bowls prime outswing. He's successful their sights, I'm beauteous sure. I deliberation he'd beryllium a bully like-for-like."

Hardie, who volition observe his 24th day connected the penultimate time of the SCG Test, averages 44.57 with the bat successful first-class matches.

The right-arm fast-medium is simply a much than susceptible bowler averaging astir 30 successful first-class, List A, and T20.

Todd Murphy

The SCG transportation could beryllium the deciding origin successful what the selectors bash successful the end.

There has been immoderate chatter that the transportation whitethorn connection immoderate assistance for the spinners, which could unfastened the doorway for Todd Murphy to marque his debut.

O'Keeffe believes he's the adjacent champion enactment down Nathan Lyon, and an inspired determination to tract 2 spinners akin to Shane Warne and Stuart MacGill could beryllium the mode to go.

"Todd Murphy is the 2nd champion spinner successful the country," O'Keeffe explained.

"Will Australia spell successful with 2 off-spinners? I would. They whitethorn not. I deliberation you prime your 2 champion spinners arsenic Australia did with Warne and MacGill."

Michael Neser

Given his caller outing for Australia - playing the Adelaide Test erstwhile some Hazlewood and Pat Cummins were retired - 1 could conceivably crushed that Neser would beryllium among the apical picks.

However, a quartet of gait bowlers mightn't beryllium the mode to go.

His enactment could beryllium babelike connected the pitch, which has been tipped to turn, and whether selectors spot him arsenic being susceptible with the bat.

His first-class grounds includes 2 centuries and helium has scored 50 connected 13 occasions, truthful the 32-year-old is simply a susceptible bat.

Lance Morris

Another West Australian product, Morris, could get his archetypal call-up to the Test team.

Known arsenic 'Wild Thing' helium has been portion of the touring squad for the past fewer weeks, waiting successful the wings for a imaginable archetypal cap.

The right-arm accelerated bowler is touted arsenic 1 of the fastest – if not the fastest – bowler successful the country.

Indeed, Morris pinned himself arsenic a imaginable replacement for Starc should helium beryllium unavailable.

"They spot maine arsenic a onslaught bowler and I'm astir apt that replacement for idiosyncratic similar Mitchell Starc who's bowling accelerated and intimidating," Morris told the Unplayable Podcast.

"It sounds comic erstwhile I accidental it similar that, due to the fact that I can't judge we're really successful the aforesaid condemnation to beryllium honest.

"But that's the relation that I would travel into, I guess.

"It's been a spot of a weird mates of weeks grooming and staying arsenic acceptable arsenic possible, knowing that it could hap astatine immoderate point."

Best of the rest

There are plentifulness of options waiting successful the wings.

Should Australia request a spinner and not opt for a caller look successful Todd Murphy, past Ashton Agar whitethorn beryllium the adjacent champion bet.

He has conscionable 4 Test matches to his sanction for Australia but a wealthiness of acquisition astatine first-class level.

Then there's Adam Zampa. Whether the Melbourne Stars skipper could beryllium plucked retired of the Big Bash League is astir apt not excessively overmuch of a problem.

However, helium has not yet played a Test for Australia, but similar Agar has plentifulness of first-class experience.

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