Richardson to take first steps towards potential Ashes comeback – cricket.com.au

Three-Test speedster named in Cricket Australia XI to face England Lions at Lilac Hill next week
The first stage of Australia’s plan to have Jhye Richardson firing at the back-end of this summer’s Ashes will be put into action when the injury-plagued speedster faces England Lions in a tour match next week.
Richardson is the headline act of a Cricket Australia XI named today to face England’s ‘A’ side in a first-class contest at Lilac Hill beginning on the same day as the opening Australia-England Test across town at Perth Stadium.
Mackenzie Harvey (c), Charlie Anderson, Liam Blackford, Xavier Crone, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Cameron McClure, Aidan O’Connor, Nivethan Radhakrishnan, Jhye Richardson, Jake Scott, Jack Sinfield, Teague Wyllie (one Test squad member to be added)
An additional player from Australia’s Test squad, likely Brendan Doggett or Josh Inglis, will be added to the CA XI to play the Andrew Flintoff-coached English team that is shadowing their main Test touring squad.
Jake Fraser-McGurk is the only other internationally capped played in the CA XI squad. His close friend Mackenzie Harvey has been named captain of the youthful side which has eight players who are 24 or younger and features 2024 U19 World Cup winners Charlie Anderson and Aidan O’Connor.

The match overlaps with the fifth Sheffield Shield round and Australia have not picked any first-choice state players aside from the Test squad addition, which will be confirmed next week.  
In Richardson, Australia are hoping they have a second fast bowler to be injected into their NRMA Insurance campaign against England alongside captain Pat Cummins, who will miss the start of the series with a back stress issue.
Selectors have kept Richardson in their Test plans despite his rough run with injuries over recent years.
It could prove prudent given Australia’s fast bowler injury concerns as they head into the series. In addition to Cummins nursing a back issue, Josh Hazlewood felt hamstring tightness last week playing in the Sheffield Shield, while Sean Abbott has been ruled out of the first Test, also with a hamstring complaint.
Fringe bowlers Doggett and Michael Neser have also both missed time over the past 12 months with injury, while nationally-contracted quick Lance Morris is out for the summer after undergoing back surgery.
Richardson had his right shoulder operated on for a third time earlier this year. He has played just four first-class matches in four years since he took a match-winning Test five-wicket haul in Adelaide during the last home Ashes in 2021-22.
The 29-year-old recently returned for his club side Fremantle, sending down 18 overs in two games, and will likely be on an overs restriction against the Lions as Australia look to build his bowling loads up gradually.
If his long-form comeback goes well, Richardson could possibly also feature against England Lions again for Australia A at Allan Border Field from December 5, a match that begins a day after the second Ashes Test in Brisbane.
Western Australia also have Sheffield Shield matches on November 22 (against South Australia in Adelaide) and December 4 (at the WACA Ground against Victoria).
Richardson admitted his surprise when he was selected in Australia’s squad for the final Test against India last summer not long before he underwent his latest shoulder surgery, but has insisted adding to his three Tests is his ultimate goal.
Cummins, who is hoping to be back for the Gabba Test, helped convince Richardson to go under the knife.
“Patty actually made a really good point to me, which probably tipped me over the edge to get surgery,” Richardson told cricket.com.au last month.
“(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.
“Ideally, Test cricket would be great. That’s been my goal for a long time now.”
England are currently kicking off their Ashes tour with a three-day match against the Lions at Lilac Hill. Their main Test squad will also then face the Prime Minister’s XI between the first and second Tests in Canberra, before the Lions’ final first-class fixture against Australia A in Brisbane.
First Test: November 21-25, Perth Stadium, 1:30pm AEDT
Second Test: December 4-8, The Gabba, Brisbane (D/N), 3pm AEDT
Third Test: December 17-21: Adelaide Oval, 10:30am AEDT
Fourth Test: December 26-30: MCG, Melbourne, 10:30am AEDT
Fifth Test: January 4-8: SCG, Sydney, 10:30am AEDT
Australia squad: (First Test only): Steve Smith (c), Sean Abbott, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Brendan Doggett, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Starc, Jake Weatherald, Beau Webster
England squad: Ben Stokes (c), Harry Brook (vc), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Brydon Carse, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith (wk), Josh Tongue, Mark Wood
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