Perth Scorchers coach Adam Voges has lavished praise on Jhye Richardson, saying the star paceman will be ready to fire when Australia come knocking later this summer.
Richardson shot to the top of this season's BBL wicket-taking list when he snared 4-24 in Saturday's 17-run win over the ladder-leading Sydney Thunder.
It took Richardson's tally to 17 wickets for the season at the stunning average of 10.47 and an economy rate of 6.43.
What makes Richardson's performances even more remarkable is the fact that he has only just recently returned from his second bout of shoulder surgery.
Richardson's hot form has put him firmly in the mix for an international recall for the five-match T20 series away to New Zealand in February/March.
Voges said Richardson, whose horror run of shoulder injuries started while playing for Australia in 2019, was getting better each game.
"He's been magnificent for us," Voges said.
"He bowls all the tough overs. He bowls up front, he's bowling in every power surge and he's often got one at the death as well.
"Not only is he the leading wicket taker, but I think he's also got one of the better economy rates in the competition. He's a huge part of our side.
"Once Australia play a bit more international cricket that's coming up after the Test series, I'm sure Jhye will be firmly in the frame."
The Scorchers have won four games on the trot to rocket from last to fifth spot.
But they could be without Colin Munro for Tuesday's crunch clash with the Hobart Hurricanes in Perth after the NZ power hitter injured his quad against the Thunder.
Munro, who has struck three consecutive half-centuries, will undergo a scan to determine the extent of the damage.
"Just running between the wickets he felt something in his quad," Voges said.
"We're certainly hopeful it's nothing too serious. He was able to continue on to bat and played beautifully well."
Scorchers opener Liam Livingstone has struggled to hit his straps, scoring just 69 runs at an average of 13.8 this season.
Livingstone starred for the Scorchers last summer, and Voges is confident the runs will soon flow.
"Yeah he's frustrated. He'd like to be performing a little bit better than what he is at the moment," Voges said.
"We know how good he can be. We saw that last year. One good innings can turn around a tournament very quickly. He's staying really positive."
