Perth Scorchers coach Justin Langer is looking forward to Pat Cummins speeding in at #TheFurnace in Thursday’s KFC T20 Big Bash League clash with Adelaide Strikers. Langer also confirmed he would love to welcome Simon Katich back next season.
Langer’s second-placed side will book a BBL|03 semi-finals spot with victory over the Strikers, while a win would also go a long way towards earning a home semi-final for the third season running.
The Scorchers have made one change to the squad which defeated Sydney Sixers in a super over last Friday, which sees Cummins set for his long-awaited debut, replacing Ryan Duffield.
20-year-old Cummins has been with the Scorchers for two seasons and had been restricted to the sidelines through injury until being cleared by the KFC Big Bash League Technical Committee to return to the Perth playing list for tomorrow night’s clash with Adelaide.
“It’s going to be nice to see Shaun Tait and Pat Cummins bowling here tomorrow”, Langer said. “It’s going to be two of the fastest bowlers in Australia.
“Hopefully he (Cummins) is ready to go - he’s done everything possible, he’s ticked every box, he’s just excited to get out there and bowl at the WACA”, Langer added. “From our point of view, that’s why we signed him, to see one of the world’s fastest bowlers bowling at the WACA. It doesn’t get much more exciting than that.”
“We’ve seen with the incredible interest in the Scorchers here, it’s always nice to play in front of your home crowd”, Langer continued when asked how important it would be to secure a last four clash at #TheFurnace.
“We’ll have some advantage, we get to play on this wicket more often than the others. We’re starting to gain some home ground advantage.”
Simon Katich welcome back in 2014/15
“If Simon Katich has even a millimetre of interest in playing next year, we’ll certainly be doing everything we can to have him here”, Langer offered. “He’s a brilliant leader, great person, batted well, you know he’s going to be meticulously prepared.
“We’ll work through the finer details, but if he wants to play, we’ll welcome him back.”
Scorchers 18-man squad v Strikers: Simon Katich ©, Yasir Arafat, Michael Beer, Jason Behrendorff, Hilton Cartwright, Pat Cummins, Brad Hogg, Mitch Marsh, Craig Simmons, Alfonso Thomas, Ashton Turner, Adam Voges, Sam Whiteman.
James Buttler
As the editor of World Cricket Badger he is intent on building the website to give quality coverage of the domestic game around the world.
He is also the presenter of the Cricket Badger Radio Show on Radio Yorkshire every Tuesday evening between 7-9pm UK time.
James was the full-time Media Manager at Yorkshire County Cricket Club between 2007 and 2010.
James is a published author, a writer/video contributor to many cricket publications and a complete cricket badger!
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