BBL 2022-23: Jhye Richardson suffers hamstring strain; to remain out of action for two to three weeks

Perth Scorchers' pace spearhead Jhye Richardson suffered a hamstring injury during their latest Big Bash League 2022-23 clash against Sydney Thunder on January 4. Jhye walked off the ground after bowling four deliveries in his last over in the match.

It initially seemed a minor scare but Scorchers' head coach Adam Voges confirmed that the star pacer would be sidelined for two to three weeks.

Scorchers are currently leading the table with five wins from their opening seven group-stage matches but their recent loss against Thunder and Jhye's injury has hit their hopes of retaining the BBL title. The 26-year-old speedster has been in excellent form for Scorchers this season with 15 wickets in just seven innings at an economy rate of 6.75 so far. 

Jhye was restricted to only two matches last season as he missed the majority of the tournament due to a hamstring injury. After the match against Thunder, Voges confirmed that the player has hurt the same hamstring and they will take a cautious route. 

“Unfortunately, it’s the same hamstring that he did injure 6-12 months ago so we may need to take the cautious route. We’ve got a world-class medical team and I’ll put my trust in them to put the work in with Jhye and we’ll get him back on the park as soon as possible,” Voges said to reporters.

Lance Morris to replace Jhye Richardson for Scorchers

However, Scorchers will not be too worried due to Jhye's injury as Australian pacer Lance Morris is available for their next fixture against Brisbane Heat to be played on January 7.

The 24-year-old was called up for Australia's ongoing third Test match against South Africa at the Sydney Cricket Ground but was released by Australia on January 4 after not being included in the playing XI.

Voges added that Lance can provide genuine pace and Scorchers are looking to unleash him against Brisbane Heat.

“He’s done a heap of work preparing for Test match cricket. I know he’s had a white ball in his hand in Sydney the last couple of days. He’s going to provide some genuine pace which no one really enjoys. Hopefully we can unleash him tomorrow, if not it will certainly be in Brisbane in a couple of days time,” Voges added.