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Lance Morris has been confirmed as the latest \u201cWild Thing\u201d of Australian cricket as he prepares to train with the national squad ahead of the first Test against Pakistan in Perth, beginning next week.<\/p>\n
At his peak, Shaun Tait carried the mantle of his country\u2019s 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\u2019s faced since Tait almost two decades ago.<\/p>\n
\u201cFacing him during a spell at the WACA a couple of years ago he was definitely, comfortably the fastest bowler I\u2019ve faced since Shaun Tait,\u201d 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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe biggest thing for him that he\u2019s improved over the last two years is his accuracy,\u201d Henriques said. \u201cHe\u2019s had that pace, but he was not as consistent as he has been the last couple of years.<\/p>\n
\u201cObviously with the bowling group they [Australia] have at the moment, something\u2019s going to happen to one of the bowlers for him to get an opportunity, but I don\u2019t doubt that he can have success at the top level. It\u2019s just a matter of him trying to get a crack in front of the guys ahead of him at the moment.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Lance Morris at the Big Bash launch in Sydney on Monday.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Nick Moir<\/cite><\/p>\n The \u201cguys ahead of him\u201d are quality veterans Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Australian captain Pat Cummins, who are all expected to be fit for the first Test.<\/p>\n Morris has been chosen in a 14-player squad as a potential enforcer\u00a0 in place of Starc,\u00a0 the fastest of that trio, should Starc succumb to a minor injury he is carrying into the season.<\/p>\n \u201cI want to be an attacking strike bowler,\u201d Morris told this masthead. \u201cObviously, seeing the likes of Mitchell Starc do it for a long time, and Mitchell Johnson before that, they\u2019re my idols who I\u2019ve looked up to.<\/p>\n \u201cIf I could step into a similar role like that, it\u2019s a pretty exciting job to have and a license to do that.\u201d<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not sure how the dates line up, but if I can slide into the back half of the tournament, that would be awesome,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n 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\u2019s six Sheffield Shield matches so far this season, claiming 11 wickets at an average of 26.<\/p>\nMost Viewed in Sport<\/h2>\n
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