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Todd Murphy is hoping to be fit for the Prime
Minister’s XI match against Pakistan in Canberra next week, but he is still
getting acclimated to the increased strain his body has been subjected to since
he became a Test bowler this year.
Due to shoulder pain, offspinner Murphy has missed
Victoria’s previous two Sheffield Shield matches. However, he resumed bowling
on Wednesday in an attempt to play for his inclusion in what is essentially an
Australia A side for Pakistan’s pre-Test warm-up.
After just seven first-class matches, including the
PM’s XI against the West Indies last year, Murphy made his Test debut against
India in Nagpur in February, taking 7 for 124. He went on to play all four
matches in that series before being somewhat unexpectedly needed in the Ashes
following Nathan Lyon’s calf injury at Lord’s.
In an attempt to limit his workload, he had previously
postponed a county deal prior to the Ashes. However, after returning from the
UK, he experienced some niggles that resurfaced during four Sheffield Shield
matches this season, the most recent of which saw him bowl 45 overs against
Tasmania.
“It’s been a pretty big 12 months and something I
hadn’t been exposed to, so it’s just been about trying to manage myself through
that,” Murphy said. “There have been challenges with a few little
niggles and think the shoulder is just another one of that.
“It was a bit flared up after the UK series then
a few Shield games with a high workload and some one-day cricket, it sort of
fatigued a bit. So used the opportunity to try and give it a chance to settle
down and strengthen it back up for what will hopefully be a pretty busy summer
across the board then also some Shield cricket to finish the year. Had in mind
it’s a long summer and don’t want to burn myself too early.”