‘He’s ready to go’: Former Test captain floats left-field solution to Aussie injury crisis

Former Test captain Tim Paine has floated ex-Tasmanian teammate Riley Meredith as a potential left-field solution to bolster Australia’s depleted bowling stocks ahead of the Ashes.

Australia is sweating on the fitness of several fast bowlers ahead of the marquee series against England, none more so than skipper Pat Cummins, who is nursing a sore back. The New South Welshman is yet to resume bowling since he returned from the Caribbean in July, putting him in serious doubt for the Ashes opener in Perth.

Elsewhere, West Australian speedster Lance Morris has been ruled out of the summer due to back surgery, while left-armed quick Spencer Johnson is battling back issues of his own.

South Australia’s Brendan Doggett, who was withdrawn from the Frank Worrell Trophy campaign against the West Indies due to a hip injury, missed the opening two rounds of the Sheffield Shield with a hamstring complaint, while Blues seamer Sean Abbott is undergoing a mandatory 12-down stand-down period after being substituted out of last week’s red-ball contest against Victoria with split webbing in his hand.

Western Australia’s Jhye Richardson is yet to play this season having undergone shoulder surgery in January, while white-ball specialist Ben Dwarshuis has been withdrawn from the ongoing ODI series against India due to a calf strain.

Meanwhile, all-rounders Cameron Green (side) and Beau Webster (ankle) are each recovering from minor setbacks of their own, creating further headaches for the national selectors.

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Victoria’s Fergus O’Neill and Queensland’s Michael Neser have made an impressive start to their Sheffield Shield campaigns, and they remain candidates to feature in the Test side at some stage during the summer.

However, speaking to SEN Tassie Breakfast on Tuesday, Paine questioned why Meredith’s name wasn’t being mentioned in the Ashes debate.

The 29-year-old, who has played seven white-ball matches for Australia since his international debut in 2021, claimed six wickets during Tasmania’s thrilling three-run victory over Western Australia in Hobart, while last summer he took 23 scalps at 25.08 in the Sheffield Shield. He also enjoyed a successful campaign for the Welsh Fire in The Hundred over the winter, finishing as the competition’s equal second-leading wicket-taker with 12 scalps at 13.58.

Although O’Neill and Neser are seemingly ahead of him in the pecking order, Meredith’s added pace makes him a potential horses-for-courses selection for the first Test at Perth Stadium.

“With the bowling injuries we do have, I haven’t heard Riley Meredith’s name mentioned a hell of a lot,” Paine said.

“I saw during the week he bowled 40-odd overs, took six wickets and bowled quickly in those 40 overs.

“If you’re looking for someone with air speed late in the Ashes to make an impact, I wouldn’t be ruling out Meredith either.

“It sounds like his body is up and going. It’s been a long time since he bowled 40 overs in a Shield game, so clearly he’s ready to go. He was bowling as quickly at the end as he was on day two, that’s a great sign for where he’s at.

“It’s been spoken about a lot this Ashes about how important air speed is going to be and Meredith is one of the guys around the country who can generate high 140s and do it for a long period.”

Paine was also adamant that all-rounder Webster and opener Jake Weatherald could play a role in the Ashes despite lingering conjecture about the make-up of Australia’s top order for the marquee series.

“Obviously both are right in the frame, so it’s great for Tassie cricket,” Paine continued.

“What I think, without saying too much, is I dare say both will play a role for Australia at some stage in the Ashes.

“I think Cameron Green’s bowling may be there, it may not be, if it’s not then I think Beau is an absolute certainty.

“If Green is bowling, then maybe they go with a Jake Weatherald at the top instead of Beau at six and shuffle the order a little bit.

“I think that’s exciting for Tassie cricket. It’s been a long while since we had two players in the Test team and both those guys deserve their opportunity.”

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