Offspinner Murphy has missed Victoria’s last two Sheffield Shield matches due to shoulder soreness but returned to bowling on Wednesday with a view to fulfilling his selection in what is effectively an Australia A warm-up team. to the Pakistan test.
He had already filed a county deal ahead of the Ashes to manage his workload but returned from the UK with some issues that re-emerged after four Sheffield Shield outings this season, the last of which saw him bowl 45 overs against Tasmania.
“It’s been a pretty big 12 months and it’s something I haven’t been exposed to, so it was just about trying to get through it,” Murphy said. “There have been challenges with some little niggles and I think the shoulder is just one of them.
“He lit up a bit after the UK series, after a few Shield games with a heavy workload and some one-day cricket, I kind of got a bit tired. So I took the opportunity to try and give him a go to calm down and get stronger. “I’m ready for what will hopefully be a pretty busy summer across the board and then also some Shield cricket to finish off the year. “I had in mind that it’s a long summer and I don’t want to burn out too soon.”
Murphy hopes to play the BBL with Sydney Sixers during December and January and then the final four rounds of the Sheffield Shield, although that will depend on whether he is selected as a substitute in the squad for the Test tour of New Zealand.
With Lyon making a successful return from his calf injury, he is likely to have to wait a considerable time for his next Test unless the SCG offers conditions conducive to two spinners, but his experience on the Ashes tour means he will always you want to be ready to go. .
“It’s one of those where you always want to make sure you’re ready, but Nath has been so durable that even when I went to England it probably wasn’t in my mind that an opportunity would arise that would mean I would get a game,” Murphy said.
“Obviously it was really disappointing to see him go down with an injury, but it probably reinforces the importance of having a team that is ready to perform. “For me it’s really important to be in a position where, if that happens again, unfortunately, fingers crossed. , it’s not like that, but if something comes up, I’m in a place where I can deal with it.”
“Going forward, it’s about putting myself in the best place possible for any opportunities that arise in the future,” he said. “The intensity of both tours [India and the Ashes] It was something I had not experienced before. So being exposed to that early on will prepare me moving forward and it was great to be a part of. “Hopefully in a summer at home I can take advantage of that and if there’s an opportunity I’m prepared to do well.”