Josh Hazlewood given the all-clear of fitness concerns but Sean Abbott out of Test

Josh Hazlewood cricket action

Josh Hazlewood has taken 295 international wickets with an average of 24.21 during his 76-Test career

Released half an hour ago

Hazlewood received clearance to link up with the Aussie lineup for the first Ashes Test post-injury worries, but fellow pace bowler the paceman has been ruled out

Both suffered muscle problems during their match for NSW against Victoria in the Sheffield Shield this past Wednesday

Scans showed Hazlewood (34) escaped tissue injury. The uncapped Abbott, 33, has a significant hamstring issue

Skipper Pat Cummins will miss the opening Test, beginning on 21 November, meaning the absence of another experienced fast bowler in Hazlewood might have represented a serious concern

The bowler stood unlikely to play at the Perth match, with Hazlewood set to join fellow quicks Starc and Boland as the specialist seamers

Cummins, currently healing from a back injury, appears to be scheduled to reappear for the second Test beginning December 4 in Brisbane

Batter Steve Smith takes over leadership in Cummins' absence

Following other the Australia players, Hazlewood participated in the current round of domestic cricket building up to the Ashes

Prior to recently, he was absent from domestic first-class games for New South Wales for over twelve months

He felt tightness in his posterior chain towards the end of the match recently and was substituted for safety reasons

Both players participated in batting for their team's second batting effort during their defeat in a substantial margin

"We're a week away from the Test series - typically prefer precautionary measures," said Cummins

"They wanted to find out the exact situation prior to testing it and possibly causing anything worse"

"It's rare to get him upbeat, therefore it was positive to witness his smile"

"He knows his body really well. He appeared a little bit worried (and desired professional evaluation"

Abbott has won 57 international selections representing Australia in white-ball cricket

The yet-to-debut Doggett provides bowling backup within the team, acting as backup for the main pace trio

Jessica Cruz
Jessica Cruz

A seasoned leadership coach and writer passionate about empowering individuals to achieve their full potential through mindful practices.

Popular Post