Big Bash League: Perth Scorchers don’t expect Josh Inglis to be released from Australian camp for first match

Perth Scorchers don’t believe star wicket-keeper Josh Inglis will be released from Australia’s camp to play in their Big Bash League blockbuster with Melbourne Stars on Sunday. Inglis is set to miss the clash, with Australian selectors indicating to the Scorchers he will not be sent home in time, despite being rushed from Adelaide to Sydney just over 12 hours before a Sheffield Shield match last week. It means both English internationals Keaton Jennings and Matthew Hurst are likely to make their Scorchers debuts, while West Aussie young gun Sam Fanning has impressed at training this week and is also in the frame. Australia’s third Test against India starts on Saturday, the day before the Scorchers open their season, and Inglis is almost certain to be left out again. “My understanding is not at this stage,” coach Adam Voges said of Inglis. “We are in constant communication with George Bailey and the Australian selectors around Josh’s availability. “I think it is going to be probably tough to get him over from Brisbane for Sunday, but we will keep that communication going and hopefully we see Josh sooner rather than later.” Englishman Hurst appears set to take the gloves on his Scorchers debut, working closely keeping up to the stumps with wicket-keeping coach Damon Rowan on Friday morning. Finn Allen, who can also take the gloves, took catches in a slips cordon alongside captain Ashton Turner. Voges also indicated nationally-contracted quicks Lance Morris and Jhye Richardson have not been given the final tick of approval to play. Morris played back-to-back shield matches in the lead-up to the Big Bash, while Richardson was held over from the defeat to New South Wales, which ended earlier this week. Cooper Connolly, captain Ashton Turner and spinner Ashton Agar are all in a race to be fit. The trio all showed positive signs in a centre-wicket training session on Thursday, but staff are waiting to see how they recover. “Yesterday was a positive day for a number of those guys,” Voges said. “They needed to get through yesterday’s session and thankfully they all did, so from that point of view it was pretty positive. We’re starting to see the bulk of what we might look like on Sunday. “We will just see how they pull up ... if they get through today as well we will hit Saturday. Looking positive at the moment.” All three are training at the WACA Ground again on Friday morning. Star all-rounder and last summer’s stand-in skipper Aaron Hardie has already been ruled out with a quad injury and told The West Australian on Thursday he is poised to miss the three pre-Christmas matches and unlikely to bowl until January.