Australian selection chief George Bailey has painted a daunting scenario for opposition teams in which his two “quickest bowlers”, Mitchell Starc and tearaway Lance Morris, play in the same team, although it won’t be in Perth.
After unveiling Morris, dubbed the “wild thing”, in a 14-man Test squad for the series against Pakistan that begins on December 14, Bailey suggested the first-choice attack of Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins were expected to be “fit and firing” despite a heavy World Cup workload.
Both Morris and Scott Boland have been included amid an expectation they could be called upon if not against Pakistan then maybe the two matches that follow against the West Indies.
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Bailey said selectors were keen to exploit Morris’ “unique talent” but were conscious of his progress, having taken 11 Sheffield Shield wickets this season coming off a stress fracture injury that sidelined him during the Australian winter.
Exactly when Morris will make his Test debut remains unclear, but the fondness selectors hold for him cannot be denied.
“We clearly like the skillset there and have done for quite a little while,” Bailey said.
“An unfortunate injury for him over the winter and he’s had to work had to get back playing and he’s feeling really good. (He’s a) bull at a gate in terms of wanting to get out there playing, as all players are.
“Where we’re at with him at the moment is trying to get him to work backwards a little bit and try and get his mindset (right) with him if an opportunity arises during the summer, (figuring out) what does that look like for him to be at his absolute best and cherry ripe and respecting the fact he has come back off a back stress fracture which is clearly a debilitating and challenging injury to get over.
“But we’re thrilled to see how he’s progressed through the games with Western Australia. I think he’s got better and better each opportunity and I know he’s referenced in the past how much he loves being around the Australian team and particularly around those senior fast bowlers.
“It’s a unique skillset (he has), there’s lots of areas where players can get better and improve but having that raw speed is pretty unique.”
Bailey was also keen to point that selectors didn’t just see Morris as a potential replacement for Starc, should be get injured.
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He said there was a scenario where they would play together, which could be a fearsome new-ball attack with extreme pace at both ends.
“There’s potential for it, interestingly with quicks everyone tends to look at it as a bunch and if one comes out then there’s a running line that one comes in,” he said.
“But I think much like a batting line-up, for the team as a whole, it’s about how that functions and what you want from each bowler, depending on the surface that you’re on and who you’re playing against and what you actually need from the team.
“Clearly, both of those guys are our quickest bowlers, so there’s some similarities there, but I think as Lance continues to develop there’s no reason why they couldn’t play in the same team.”
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