Jhye Richardson is set to return for his first Test in four years after being sidelined by persistent injuries. The pacer, who has not played a Test for Australia since 2021, has been brought back after fine domestic form on his return from shoulder surgery. He has been named in the squad for the fourth Ashes Test against England in the 2025–26 series, and all eyes are on him. As Richardson is selected for Australia’s squad for the fourth Test against England, let’s take a look back at the injury setbacks that tested him over the years.
A relentless battle with injuries
Persistent injuries have haunted Richardson in recent years. His first trouble appeared in 2019, when he dislocated his right shoulder. The injury occurred when he dived in the field during an ODI for Australia in March 2019 against Pakistan in Sharjah. It ruled him out of the 2019 World Cup, and though he recovered for the 2021 Ashes, it soon turned chronic with recurrent dislocations. What seemed like a one-off soon became a long-term issue. Although he eventually underwent surgery on the shoulder after further dislocations, injuries continued to impact his career.
The multiple dislocations of the shoulder led to three surgeries: one in 2020 and another in early 2025. It affected not only his bowling but also his throwing and fielding; in fact, due to these recurrent injuries, he even had to avoid high-fives. Later, he suffered a series of soft-tissue injuries, culminating in a serious hamstring injury in 2023. The injury required surgery, which led to a year-long rehabilitation and caused him to miss both the 2023 Ashes and the World Cup.
The moment when he did not feel like a cricketer
The shoulder mishap was followed by heel and shin niggles, which affected his training. “With extensive injuries, your mind obviously goes through a few challenges being in rehab for so long,” the paceman told cricket.com.au earlier.He spoke about “not feeling like a cricketer.” “Having surgery on my hamstring to try and fix that issue meant being in rehab for so long. You don’t forget that you’re a cricketer, but you don’t always feel like a cricketer because you’re not playing and you’re not necessarily training for cricket.”He further added, “You’re training to rehabilitate an injury. It can get really, really frustrating at times when you’re inside having to do a really gruelling, crappy session with no one around you, and everyone is outside playing cricket. So that’s been a struggle, and because this has been such a slow process as well, purposefully slow, mind you, I haven’t really felt like a cricketer for a little while.”The reconstructive shoulder surgery Richardson opted for earlier this year to address the chronic instability sidelined him for nearly 12 months.
