Tim Paine Wants Australia To Consider Former Mumbai Indians Pacer For Ashes – Cricket.com

Former Australia captain Tim Paine has urged the Australian management to consider former Mumbai Indians (MI) and Punjab Kings (PBKS) speedster Riley Meredith for The Ashes, and believes that the tearaway quick could provide the Kangaroos with the x-factor they need to blow away England.
Meredith, 29, averages 31.59 in first-class cricket but 2025 has seen him peak as a bowler in white-ball cricket, taking 56 wickets in T20 cricket, finishing as the highest wicket-taker in the Vitality Blast. 
Earlier this week, he took 6 wickets in his second Sheffield Shield game of the season to seal a thrilling 3-run victory for Tasmania against Western Australia, and, by doing so, he extended his solid run in the competition, with him now having taken 29 wickets in the Shield since the start of last season, at an average just over 24.00. 
Paine urged the selectors to keep a close eye on the 29-year-old.
“With the bowling injuries we do have, I haven’t heard Riley Meredith’s name mentioned a hell of a lot,” Paine said, reported Fox Sports.
“I saw during the week he bowled 40-odd overs, took six wickets and bowled quickly in those 40 overs.
“If you’re looking for someone with air speed late in the Ashes to make an impact, I wouldn’t be ruling out Meredith either.
“It sounds like his body is up and going. It’s been a long time since he bowled 40 overs in a Shield game, so clearly he’s ready to go. He was bowling as quickly at the end as he was on day two, that’s a great sign for where he’s at.
“It’s been spoken about a lot this Ashes about how important air speed is going to be and Meredith is one of the guys around the country who can generate high 140s and do it for a long period.”
Meredith, who burst into the scene six years ago for his ability to consistently bowl over 145 kph, has played 18 IPL matches in total. He played 5 games for PBKS in IPL 2021 after being bought for INR 8 crore, and then played 13 games for MI across IPL 2022 and IPL 2023. 
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