Big Bash League: Jhye Richardson set to make Perth Scorchers return against Brisbane Heat

Perth Scorchers coach Adam Voges has confirmed Jhye Richardson will play in their clash with Brisbane on Friday.

And Voges denied the club was frustrated Richardson was not made available for Sunday evening’s victory over Sydney Sixers.

In his exclusive column for The West Australian on Sunday, former Scorchers coach Justin Langer said the call to send Richardson to Adelaide to train with Australia’s Test side made “zero sense”.

But Voges said the move had not been sprung on them at short notice.

With the Test in Adelaide now underway, Richardson will fly to Brisbane on Wednesday to link up with Perth teammates ahead of Friday night’s blockbuster at the Gabba.

“These conversations with Cricket Australia and the Australian Test team have been going on for a long time now, back to when he had the surgery this time last year,” Voges said.

“It is what it is. We’ll just welcome Jhye back for this game and we’re certainly looking forward to having him back in Scorchers colours.

“I think any time Jhye comes back into our line-up, we’re stronger for it. He’ll be a welcome addition.”

Richardson will strengthen an inexperienced Scorchers bowling unit that showed some flaws in Sunday night’s five-wicket victory over Sydney Sixers without club champions Jason Behrendorff and Andrew Tye for the first time.

“We always knew it was going to look different this year and that guys were going to get some opportunity,” Voges said.

“We are going to take some good lessons out of that game, we got put under pressure at times and we’ve got to expect that throughout the tournament.

“I thought there was some really promising signs, you add Jhye back into the mix and David Payne will join us halfway through the tournament as well. It will continue to build, it will continue to gel, but I was pleased.

The Scorchers’ power-packed batting line-up gave an exciting glimpse into their potential in the win over the Sixes, belting 10 sixes across their rain-abridged 11-over innings.

Voges said he was delighted with what he had seen from the group.

“Coop started it. We lost an early wicket, but to be able to then counterpunch and hit that ball for six, the last ball of the first over, just quickly shifts the momentum again in a shortened game,” he said.

“Then we saw Finn follow suit, Aaron Hardie played a nice little cameo, Laurie Evans played a nice little cameo as well.

“We wanted to build a batting line-up with power that bats deep and hopefully we can show that throughout the tournament.”