Kane able to feel namesake's pain

A reason why Kane Richardson was able to empathise so completely with the disappointment suffered by his namesake, Jhye, was that he has ridden that rollercoaster of oscillating fortunes himself in recent years.

The South Australia seamer was the beneficiary of the bad luck that befell Jhye Richardson, who suffered a dislocated shoulder during Australia recent ODI series against Pakistan in the UAE and on Wednesday was formally withdrawn from the World Cup squad.

As a replacement player to have received his opportunity through misfortune dealt to a teammate and a friend, Kane Richardson did not feel it was appropriate to overtly celebrate his call-up.

But the 28-year-old did concede that his addition to the 15-man squad was the realisation of a career-long cricket dream, and that he felt his opportunity had passed when he was overlooked at the initial announcement of Australia's contingent last month.

Having forced his way into Australia's ODI team in 2013 and then global headlines when the Pune Warriors IPL franchise paid $700,000 for his services later that year, Richardson foresaw white-ball cricket as his future and targeted a berth in the 2015 World Cup tournament played in Australia and New Zealand.

When he was overlooked for that squad despite being part of Australia's ODI set-up in the preceding months, he knew that the 2019 version of the quadrennial tournament represented his final realistic hope.

That had seemingly disappeared, until he was advised by Australia team management yesterday morning that 22-year-old Jhye Richardson (no relation) was not able to take his place, and that Kane would be part of the squad that leaves for the UK on Friday.

"I remember four years ago missing out on at that (World Cup) team, and I thought at the next one I'll be 28, so that's probably my last shot," Richardson said in Brisbane following an Australia XI World Cup warm-up game against a New Zealand XI.

"I still wasn't thinking about it a month ago. but to get the call yesterday that struck me the most.

"I remember watching the World Cup that was played in England in 1999, that was the one I went to video store and rented the VHS and watched.

"It kind of hit me then that these things don't come around ever again.

"It's the Olympics of cricket is what JL (men's team coach Justin Langer) has been calling it."

The right-armer who recently celebrated his first wedding anniversary and was born in the South Australia mid-north grain farming community of Eudunda but spent most of his childhood in Darwin, also understands the physical pain his namesake has been forced to endure.

Kane Richardson had regained a berth in Australia's ODI line-up in the summer that followed the 2015 World Cup, but was sent home from a tour to New Zealand when back soreness was revealed to be the fast bowlers' curse of stress fractures.

The problem returned at the end of 2016, but his form in the KFC Big Bash League with reigning champions Melbourne Renegades and some impressive performances in ODI matches in the same series that Jhye injured his shoulder ensured he was next in the World Cup pecking order.

"To be honest I still didn't think I was a chance," Richardson said today.

"Even over in the UAE (against Pakistan), I knew there were some quality bowlers (including Mitchell Starc) coming back in.

"You try not to think about it, but it's always there – it's that carrot at the end. But I don't think too far ahead because I know how quickly it can all change.

Having developed a deserved reputation as a 'death bowler' who is able to strangle opposition batters in the final overs of a limited-overs contest, Kane Richardson believes it was that specialist skill that earned him the World Cup call-up.

However, as part of Australia's ODI outfit that was hammered five-nil by Cup favourites England in a series last year, at many of the same grounds that Cup matches will be staged, he knows he will need further tricks in his repertoire if he is to succeed at the ICC's showcase event.

"In the UAE, I think that (death bowling) is what JL was happy with, those two games I played and bowled right at the end in crunch time," he said today.

"I think that's my strength, but I want to be well-rounded bowler who can bowl at any stage of the innings.

"If I'm to play a role at the World Cup I've got to be able to do that as well."

2019 World Cup

Australia's squad: Aaron Finch (c), Jason Behrendorff, Alex Carey (wk), Nathan Coulter-Nile, Pat Cummins, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Shaun Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Kane Richardson, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, David Warner, Adam Zampa

May 25: (warm-up) England v Australia, Southampton

May 27: (warm-up) Australia v Sri Lanka, Southampton

June 1: Afghanistan v Australia, Bristol (D/N)

June 6: Australia v West Indies, Trent Bridge

June 9: India v Australia, The Oval

June 12: Australia v Pakistan, Taunton

June 15: Sri Lanka v Australia, The Oval

June 20: Australia v Bangladesh, Trent Bridge

June 25: England v Australia, Lord's

June 29: New Zealand v Australia, Lord's (D/N)

July 6: Australia v South Africa, Old Trafford (D/N)

July 9: Semi-Final 1, Old Trafford

July 11: Semi-Final 2, Edgbaston

July 14: Final, Lord's

For a full list of all World Cup fixtures, click HERE