Northants overseas recruit Lance Morris suffers back injury setback

Lance Morris's stint with Northants next month has been thrown into serious doubt after the fast bowler was left out of the Australia squad for the Ashes series against England later this summer with a back problem.

The Western Australia fast bowler is due to start a three-match stay at the County Ground in the first week of May, but Australia national selector George Bailey says the player has been ordered to undergo 'a de-load period' of ‘about four-to-six weeks’.

Northants are yet to make any comment.

The Aussies named their 17-man Ashes squad on Wednesday, and Morris wasn't selected, despite the fact he had been in the squads for their past two series, without making his debut.

And Bailey revealed the reason is that Morris has suffered a 'flare-up' of a back injury, and has been ordered to undergo a rest period.

Morris had been part of Australia's squad for the majority of their home summer, before he earned his spot in a touring party for this year's series in India.

Asked about the reasoning behind Morris being left out of the squad, Bailey said: "He's having a bit of a de-load period, which I think is about four-to-six weeks.

"Then then he will start to start to build after that.

"Conservatively, we'll probably look to rebuild Lance and hopefully have a really big crack at the summer (in Australia).

"He'll get another scan in four-to-six weeks and we'll get a better indication of of how that back's going."

Morris had been due to arrive in the UK at the end of this month ahead of a debut for Northants at Somerset on May 4.

He is scheduled to replace fellow Aussie Chris Tremain as the club's overseas bowler for the games against Somerset, Nottinghamshire (May 11) and Hampshire (May 18).

Tremain completes his three-match County stint after the current four-day home clash with Hampshire, that started on Thursday.