Australian fast bowler Jhye Richardson has admitted he is still continuing to re-build his shoulder as he continues his return to the international side.
Richardson was picked in Australia's T20 squad to face New Zealand after a dominant Big Bash campaign, taking a tournament-best 29 wickets at an average of 16.31.
It continues the 24-year-old's return to the Australian side having missed the 2019 ODI World Cup due to a dislocated shoulder.
He played in Australia's third ODI against South Africa last March before undergoing surgery during the COVID shutdown to stabilise his shoulder.
Speaking to media on Tuesday, Richardson was pleased with how it held up throughout the BBL tournament despite some early issues in the colder Hobart hub.
“Yeah, bowling’s pretty good. Earlier in the tournament when we were down in Hobart and a few of the earlier games, I was pulling up quite sore but I think a lot of that had to do with external conditions,” Richardson said.
“The weather being so cold and one game, in particular, I can recall was the Melbourne Stars game that got washed out, it was incredibly cold and having to constantly warm-up and cool down was a little bit taxing on the shoulder from a pain perspective.
“But as the tournament went on, it improved significantly. Being able to go back-to-back pretty quickly become a lot easier.
“At the latter end of the tournament, it was completely fine so I’m very happy with how it coped.
“The only ball that I have probably lost which I haven’t even tried yet is the back of the hand slower ball which I haven’t felt like I’ve needed yet as much as I have needed in the past.”
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Whilst his bowling has been relatively unaffected, Richardson's unique throwing method has been noticeable throughout the tournament, with the West Australian opting to bowl the ball back instead of the usual throwing action.
He admits the process is ongoing, however, conceded that he has essentially been forced to re-learn how to throw as he gains further mobility and strength.
“Yeah, a little bit. I guess I went so long without throwing properly, even before surgery as well,” he added.
“I almost forgot what I was doing before because it feels so different now obviously coming back from a big surgery, it feels so different and I forgot how strong I could throw before or how accurately.
“It is a bit of a learning process as much as it is trying to get some power back as well… it’s still an ongoing process and I’m learning every day, trying to make throwing as comfortable and efficient as possible.”
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Despite the ongoing process, Richardson is comfortable with how it has progressed, able to draw off similar experiences from his BBL and state captain Mitch Marsh.
"Every time you go under surgery or have such a large procedure to fix something, there’s always a little bit of doubt or a little bit of unknown that comes with that,” the 24-year-old said.
“Having spoken to a few of the guys who have had dominant shoulder surgery and speaking with them about how long their shoulders take to come back, one person I can think of straight away is Mitch Marsh, he’s said that his took around two years to come back and feel comfortable.
“For where my shoulder’s at and how soon it is, I’m actually pretty happy with where it is.
“I can still throw a little bit and it’s still improving every day, which is a part of the process and really good to so as well.
“Whilst it’s not there just yet, it’s still improving which is the main thing.”
Richardson's performances at the BBL has him in line for a bidding war in the IPL, with the auction set for February 18, four days before the opening T20 against New Zealand.
With desires of a Test recall still firmly on his mind, Richardson refused to rule out playing for West Australia when the season returns, confident his shoulder could deal with the increased workload.
“I have put my hand up for the IPL but having said that, I have confidence in myself to play red-ball cricket,” he believes.
“A really good test of that was out back-to-back games albeit only four overs per game.
“Test cricket is always the dream and I’d love to get back and play Shield cricket for WA as well, that would be very exciting.
“At the moment, we will just see where everything lands and concentrate on this tournament here.”