Sheffield Shield: Jhye Richardson to return to Western Australia side for first time since shoulder surgery

Test fast bowler Jhye Richardson will play for Western Australia in a Sheffield Shield clash with Tasmania starting Thursday, his first match in the domestic competition in almost a year-and-a-half.

Richardson will be named in a WA squad for the first match back from the Big Bash League break later on Wednesday and will spearhead a bowling attack without Joel Paris or Matt Kelly, coach Adam Voges has confirmed.

Paris has not yet recovered from the groin injury that ended his Perth Scorchers campaign early, although is expected to be ready for next week’s match against Victoria, while The West Australian reported last week Kelly will miss most of the rest of the season with a calf injury.

Wicketkeeper Joel Curtis has recovered in time from a fracture in his hand and will take the gloves, while young batters Jayden Goodwin, Sam Fanning and Teague Wyllie are all in the mix.

Richardson has said he expects to have a period of recovery before he targets a call-up for Australia’s next Test assignments against Bangladesh in August and South Africa in September, but mystery surrounds whether or not that will happen before the end of the shield season.

The 29-year-old — who played his first Test in four years against England on Boxing Day — has his loads managed by Cricket Australia staff because he is centrally contracted.

He has not played a four-day game for WA since injuring his shoulder in a bizarre incident where it dislocated while high-fiving a teammate. Richardson then had shoulder surgery that ruled him out until the eve of the Ashes series.

“Jhye Richardson will be available and will play,” Voges said.

“We will still work through (his management plan) with Cricket Australia. At this stage Jhye is available for tomorrow and we will welcome him back and enjoy having him back in WA colours.

“It’s been a while since he’s played shield cricket... post that we will see where we get to.”

Tasmania’s Jake Weatherald will bat for the first time in first-class cricket since his underwhelming maiden Test series and a series of stars — including Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne and Alex Carey — will return to the competition.

WA won just one game in the first part of the season, but are just one win behind second-placed Queensland.

The two sides meet in a one-day match on Tuesday.

PREDICTED WA TEAM TO FACE TASMANIA

Sam Whiteman, Cameron Bancroft, Jayden Goodwin, Aaron Hardie, Hilton Cartwright, Sam Fanning, Joel Curtis, Jhye Richardson, Corey Rocchiccioli, Cameron Gannon, Brody Couch