Despondent quick Jhye Richardson targets Australia A and Ashes after shoulder injury fails to recover in time for World Cup
Richardson ruled out of World Cup
Australia fast bowler Jhye Richardson has revealed the depth of his disappointment at missing the upcoming World Cup even though he knew from the moment he dislocated his right shoulder he was "touch and go" to be fit for the tournament.
Cricket Australia announced today that Richardson had been withdrawn from their 15-man squad for the quadrennial campaign that begins on May 30, and that his place would be filled by seamer Kane Richardson (no relation).
Jhye Richardson spoke to media during change of innings of the World Cup warm-up match against a New Zealand XI in Brisbane today, before returning to Perth to continue his rehabilitation.
The 22-year-old, who made his ODI debut in January 2018 and earned his Baggy Green cap as a Test player a year later, will now eye a return to cricket as part of the Australia A team that tours the UK as a prelude to the Ashes series that immediately follows the World Cup.
"It hasn't been great news," he said today, just hours after the decision was released publicly.
"If I'm going to be brutally honest it hasn't been that easy to accept – World Cups don't come around every day as we know.
"I honestly thought I could get up, and I was determined to do everything I could whether it was gym every day, running every day, getting on the physio table to get some treatment done to remotely help my cause a little bit.
"It was always going to be touch and go, we knew that from the day that I did it.
"Eight weeks is quite a quick turnaround for an injury like this, but we know that every shoulder is different and can behave differently.
"I was very optimistic the whole way through.
"I still thought I had a chance, even though people around me were telling me it wasn't going as well as we would have liked, I was still trying to keep a positive mind.
"Things weren't meant to be, but I'm at peace with it now and my focus switches to supporting the team as best as I can over there."
Richardson knew he was going to struggle to make the World Cup deadline from the time that he suffered the injury, diving in the outfield to try and stop a boundary during Australia's recent one-day series against Pakistan in the UAE.
"This is obviously very disappointing news for the team and for Jhye, who has been exceptional throughout his rehabilitation," team physiotherapist David Beakley said.
"After his most recent assessment and attempting to bowl in the nets, it was clear that Jhye was not progressing as fast as required and therefore, in consultation with selectors, we made the decision to withdraw him from the squad.
"Jhye will continue with his rehabilitation and we will look to resume bowling in the coming week."
He said the prospect of the Australia A campaign in Britain, which will act as a final selection guide for the remaining available berths in Australia's squad for the five-Test Ashes series that begins on August 1, will provide an additional spur through his ongoing rehabilitation.
"It helps a lot knowing that there's something just as big around the corner and to have that to aim for, it puts a lot of clarity in my mind," he said today.
"Playing for Australia is what I want to do, so I'm going to everything I can to get up for, first the Australia A tour and the Ashes after that.
"I think the Australia A tour is not out of the question, that's going to be my immediate focus just to make sure that I'm still determined to get up for something as quick as I can.
"I think that's a good way to go about rehab."
The wiry right-arm quick is unsure when he will be able to return to bowling, noting that a decision as to his on-field progress will be made in consultation with medical staff in coming days and weeks.
But he is unequivocal in his commitment to hurling himself around the field when he gets back to playing, despite the damage he caused in his most recent outing for Australia and knowing the disappointment that has yielded.
"To be honest, that's the way I want to play my cricket, that's the way I want to play for Australia," he said.
"I want to be able to put my body on the line. If I get injured doing so, then so be it.
"I can accept that if I'm trying to save runs for the team, and I wouldn't hesitate to do it again."
2019 World Cup
Australia's squad: Aaron Finch (c), Jason Behrendorff, Alex Carey (wk), Nathan Coulter-Nile, Pat Cummins, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Shaun Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Kane Richardson, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, David Warner, Adam Zampa
May 25: (warm-up) England v Australia, Southampton
May 27: (warm-up) Australia v Sri Lanka, Southampton
June 1: Afghanistan v Australia, Bristol (D/N)
June 6: Australia v West Indies, Trent Bridge
June 9: India v Australia, The Oval
June 12: Australia v Pakistan, Taunton
June 15: Sri Lanka v Australia, The Oval
June 20: Australia v Bangladesh, Trent Bridge
June 25: England v Australia, Lord's
June 29: New Zealand v Australia, Lord's (D/N)
July 6: Australia v South Africa, Old Trafford (D/N)
July 9: Semi-Final 1, Old Trafford
July 11: Semi-Final 2, Edgbaston
July 14: Final, Lord's
For a full list of all World Cup fixtures, click HERE