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Lance Morris has been confirmed as the latest “Wild Thing” of Australian cricket as he prepares to train with the national squad ahead of the first Test against Pakistan in Perth, beginning next week.
At his peak, Shaun Tait carried the mantle of his country’s fastest bowler during an explosive but injury-marred career. Now, 17-year Sheffield Shield veteran Moises Henriques claims that Morris, 25, is the quickest he’s faced since Tait almost two decades ago.
“Facing him during a spell at the WACA a couple of years ago he was definitely, comfortably the fastest bowler I’ve faced since Shaun Tait,” Henriques, the Sydney Sixers captain, told this masthead during the launch of the Big Bash in Sydney on Monday, ahead of their opening match against the Melbourne Renegades at the SCG this Friday.
Henriques, 36, named Morris among the three quickest bowlers he had faced during his international and domestic career, including former NSW and Sixers teammate Brett Lee in the nets.
“The biggest thing for him that he’s improved over the last two years is his accuracy,” Henriques said. “He’s had that pace, but he was not as consistent as he has been the last couple of years.
“Obviously with the bowling group they [Australia] have at the moment, something’s going to happen to one of the bowlers for him to get an opportunity, but I don’t doubt that he can have success at the top level. It’s just a matter of him trying to get a crack in front of the guys ahead of him at the moment.”
Lance Morris at the Big Bash launch in Sydney on Monday.Credit: Nick Moir
The “guys ahead of him” are quality veterans Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Australian captain Pat Cummins, who are all expected to be fit for the first Test.
Morris has been chosen in a 14-player squad as a potential enforcer in place of Starc, the fastest of that trio, should Starc succumb to a minor injury he is carrying into the season.
“I want to be an attacking strike bowler,” Morris told this masthead. “Obviously, seeing the likes of Mitchell Starc do it for a long time, and Mitchell Johnson before that, they’re my idols who I’ve looked up to.
“If I could step into a similar role like that, it’s a pretty exciting job to have and a license to do that.”
Morris was representing the Perth Scorchers during the Big Bash launch at Moore Park golf course but following his naming in the national team was unsure when he would be available for his Big Bash side.
“I’m not sure how the dates line up, but if I can slide into the back half of the tournament, that would be awesome,” he said.
It has been a frustrating build-up to the summer at times for Morris, who has been returning from stress fractures in his back revealed by scans at the end of the last season, robbing him of a place on the Ashes tour. He has played three of Western Australia’s six Sheffield Shield matches so far this season, claiming 11 wickets at an average of 26.
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