West Australian speedster Lance Morris may miss the entire Australian summer of cricket with surgery on the cards in a bid to end his recurring back issues, according to Code Sports.
The 27-year-old right-arm quick, who is dubbed ‘The Wild Thing’ was set to add to his three ODI appearances against South Africa in northern Queensland this week, but last week Morris was ruled out of the three-game series with lower back soreness.
He is also in the Australia A squad to play four-day games in India next month, but his involvement in that tour now seems unlikely.
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It was reported that Morris is currently seeking expert advice following regular back injuries with surgery one of the options on the table.
Morris has held a Cricket Australia contract for three straight years after first being called up to the Test squad for a home series against the West Indies in 2022.
Australiaâs Lance Morris prepares to bowl during the third one-day international (ODI) cricket match between Australia and West Indies at Manuka Oval in Canberra on February 6, 2024. (Photo by Saeed KHAN / AFP) / — IMAGE RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE – STRICTLY NO COMMERCIAL USE –Source: AFP
While he is yet to earn a baggy green, Morris has been touted as an eventual successor to the current fast bowling group of Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Scott Boland due to his impressive first-class record, boasting 87 wickets at 24.75 in 26 matches since making his debut for Western Australia in 2020.
He toured India for the Border Gavaskar Trophy in 2023, but missed the Ashes tour later the year as a result of a ‘hot spot’ in his back.
In early 2024, Morris made his international debut in an ODI against the West Indies at the MCG, but another back stress reaction was found at the end of that season.
A quad injury then interrupted him last summer, although he did manage to snare 2/24 in an ODI defeat to Pakistan in Perth in November.
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Should he go down the surgery route, Morris would follow in the footsteps of former Test quick James Pattinson, former Perth Scorchers teammate Jason Behrendorff and current three-format all-rounder Cameron Green.
Both Pattinson and Behrendorff successfully returned to the international arena following back surgery, while Green is set to return to the bowling crease in this summer’s Ashes after playing as a batter only in the World Test Championship final and the West Indies tour.
Morris’ latest setback is a further blow to Australia’s fast bowling depth.
BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA – FEBRUARY 20: Lance Morris of Western Australia bowls during the Sheffield Shield match between Queensland and Western Australia at The Gabba, on February 20, 2025, in Brisbane, Australia. (Photo by Albert Perez/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
His state teammate Jhye Richardson, who has played three Tests but has not donned the baggy green since he snared a five-wicket haul in Adelaide against England when they last toured in 2021, is also in doubt for the early parts of the summer following shoulder surgery.
“These are still ongoing conversations,” Richardson told reporters recently.
“Things that you don’t necessarily plan for can pop up, you can plateau a little bit in terms of progress.
“Shield cricket is definitely on the radar, whether it’s game one, two, three, four, five, six, whichever it is, I’m hoping there will be some Shield cricket at some stage and hopefully some cricket for Fremantle and some second XI cricket amongst that as well.”
Australian player Jhye Richardson bowls in the nets at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in Melbourne on December 24, 2024, ahead of the fourth cricket Test match between Australia and India starting December 26. (Photo by William WEST / AFP) / –IMAGE RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE – STRICTLY NO COMMERCIAL USE–Source: AFP
“I think white-ball cricket is always good to build the loads for red-ball cricket. We know that bowling 10 overs at high intensity really helps. And match time is something that you can’t necessarily get in the nets. We know that that intensity is going to be important, so I’d say there’d be some white-ball cricket.”
Australia’s fast bowling depth options have hardly taken a trick in recent times with Brendan Doggett, who was named in the squad for the Caribbean tour and was a travelling reserve for the WTC final, suffering a hip injury that ruled him out of the West Indies series.
White-ball quick Spencer Johnson also missed the T20 leg in the Caribbean with a back issue, following a tour injury sustained in the Sheffield Shield last summer.