"George Bailey was at the game at the Gabba and gave me the tap on the shoulder then" - Jhye Richardson opens up on his Ashes selection
Australia's Jhye Richardson has shared the details of his Ashes recall and revealed how the conversation with George Bailey transpired. Richardson is one of the five specialist pacemen in the 15-man squad for the first two Tests.
Richardson has shone brightly in the ongoing Sheffield Shield season and is the third-highest wicket-taker. The West Australian has snared 16 wickets in three matches at 12.50 alongside a five-wicket haul. He is in line to play his first Test since 2019 and was impressive in his debut series.
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Jhye Richardson revealed that national selector George Bailey tapped his shoulder at the Gabba during a first-class game. However, the 25-year-old wanted to focus on the moment. He stated, as quoted by news.com.au:
"It was strange. George Bailey was at the game at the Gabba and he gave me the tap on the shoulder then. It was more about quickly putting that away and still focusing on the job was at hand for WA. It was excitement, it was a relief and it put everything into perspective and the red ball focus was worth it. It was late in the game during a rain delay."
Richardson has battled plenty of injuries and form concerns leading up to the moment. His figures of 3/38 and 5/23 against Queensland in Brisbane were perhaps the performance that ushered his selection in the Test squad.
"It’s one of the biggest series you can be involved in" - Jhye Richardson
Richardson claimed that the Ashes is a marquee series to be involved in; however, he is wary of putting too much pressure on himself. The West Australian added:
"It’s one of the biggest series you can be involved in. It’s super exciting but the focus is on. If I do get a game, to just make sure I’m doing everything that I have done up until this point. I don’t want to put too much pressure on myself. It’s an amazing squad to be a part of. It’s just about not putting too much pressure on myself."
With Mitchell Starc's recent form under scrutiny and underperforming last summer, Richardson could partner Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood in a three-man pace attack for the first Test. The first of the five Tests begins in Brisbane from December 8.