Jhye Richardson will have to get used to South Africans asking him how to pronounce his first name.
Richardson‚ a 21-year-old Western Australia fast bowler‚ has been named in Australia’s squad for the series of four tests they will play in South Africa in March and April.
He has played only five first-class matches and is‚ in his own words‚ as reported by ESPNCricinfo‚ “only 70-odd kilos and 178cm tall‚ so I'm not the biggest unit around”.
Little wonder that he lists another humanly proportioned fast bowler as an inspiration: “Someone like Dale Steyn‚ he's proved to everyone that you don't have to be tall and you don't have to be a solid bloke to be able to run in‚ bowl fast and bowl well.”
Richardson has beaten Mitchell Starc‚ Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins on the speed gun in the same match‚ and he has already claimed 21 wickets — and scored a half-century — in first-class cricket.
His inclusion would seem to be part of the Aussies’ plan‚ much like the currently visiting Indians‚ to pack their squad with fast bowlers: six of the 15 players are quicks.
