Brett Lee has urged Australia to ‘bring out Wild Thing’ Lance Morris in a four-paceman attack for the third Test against South Africa as he called for a selection shake-up after Mitchell Starc’s injury
- Lance Morris is in Australia’s squad for the third Test against South Africa
- The Western Australia paceman leads the wicket-takers in the Sheffield Shield
- Australia has an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-Test series
- Brett Lee has encouraged the national selectors to go with a four-man pacemen attack
- Mitchell Starc and Cameron Green will miss the SCG Test due to injuries
Brett Lee has urged Australian selectors to be brave ahead of the third Test of the series against South Africa and to ‘bring out’ Western Australia paceman Lance Morris.
Brought into the Test squad as injury cover for the series against the West Indies earlier this summer, Morris could make his Sydney debut after Mitchell Starc dislocated his finger at the MCG.
Starc and all-rounder Cameron Green will miss the third Test against South Africa due to injuries, with Queensland opener Matt Renshaw and Victoria left-arm spinner Ashton Agar called in as replacements.
Lance Morris could make his Test debut for Australia in the third Test against South Africa
Meanwhile, New South Wales quick Josh Hazlewood is back in the squad after recovering from a side strain.
The wicket at the SCG is expected to produce more spin than those at the Gabba at the MCG in the first two Tests, but Lee believes Australia must resist the temptation to play two spinners.
‘I’m definitely going to bring in Josh Hazlewood for Mitchell Starc and bring out The Wild Thing 2.0 [Morris],’ he told Fox Sports.
‘Lance Morris will come in and I’ll take Alex Carey bat No.6. So I actually have Hazlewood, [Scott] Boland, [Pat] Cummins, Morris and Nathan Lyon.
Morris was included in Australia’s Test squad as an injury cover for the series against the West Indies and could be included for the third Test against the Proteas at the SCG
Josh Hazlewood is expected to return to the team after recovering from a side strain
‘Then you have the option of Steve Smith to bowl some leggies and Travis Head.’
Morris has turned heads since making his Sheffield Shield debut last season, when he finished with 20 wickets at 27 as Western Australia won the competition for the first time since 1999.
The 24-year-old has picked up where he left off this season, taking 27 wickets in nine innings at 18.40 apiece, currently making him the Sheffield Shield’s leading wicket-taker.
He removed Usman Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne at the same time at the WACA and his pace created a huge stir in Australia.
Brett Lee has called for Australia’s selectors to go with a four-pacemen attack
The man nicknamed the Wild Thing is seen as a natural replacement for Starc and Lee believes he can thrive at the SCG against South Africa’s brittle batting line-up.
The Proteas have scored more than 200 just once in four innings in Australia so far and lost by an innings and 182 runs at the MCG.
On the basis of the first two Tests, the tourists have little chance of avoiding a whitewash and Lee believes Morris is the man Australia need to keep their foot firmly on the accelerator.
‘He’s the fastest in the West, but he might be the fastest in Australia,’ he said.
Mitchell Starc will miss the third Test against South Africa after suffering a finger injury
‘What I like about Morris is that he is an attacking bowler.
‘I like bowlers who are aggressive. I love bowlers who aren’t afraid to bowl some short stuff and also some brilliant yorkers, so bring him on.
‘I expect the fast bowlers to be unleashed and Boland will be a nightmare on that wicket.’
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