File image of Australian pacer Josh Hazlewood©AFP
Cricket Australia on Monday declared the country’s seasoned speedster Josh Hazlewood “fit and available” for the upcoming World Test Championship (WTC) final against India and the Ashes series against old rivals England. The WTC Final is scheduled for June 7-11 at the Oval in London, followed by the five-match Ashes from June 16-July 31. side pain” following his recent appearance in the Indian Premier League for Royal Challengers Bangalore two weeks ago, raising concerns about his participation in the upcoming international engagements.
However, CA said he is fit to travel to the UK.
“Josh Hazlewood returned from the IPL last weekend after experiencing mild pain in his side following the completion of his most recent IPL match,” said a CA spokesperson.
“After a short precautionary rest, Hazlewood returned to high intensity bowling last week and will continue to increase his workload in preparation for the WTC and Ashes series. Hazlewood is deemed fit and available for the WTC and Ashes series. ” A relief for the pacemaker: scans revealed no damage as he returned to bowling ahead of the Australian squad’s departure to the UK.
Hazlewood played the last of his three matches for Royal Challengers Bangalore on 9 May, bowling a total of nine overs in the ongoing IPL from which his team were knocked out by Gujarat Titans after losing six wickets at Bengaluru on Sunday night.
Known for his accuracy and often compared to the legendary Glenn McGrath, his presence will be a huge boost for the Australian bowlers when they take on the likes of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Cheteshwar Pujara at the Oval.
The veteran Hazlewood has struggled with injuries for the past two years and has had to bowl for four months to recover from an Achilles tendon problem suffered during the Sydney Test in January.
Bought for Rs 7.75 crore by RCB during the 2022 IPL auction, Hazlewood has missed the last two home test summers with side strains and suffered the Achilles tendon injury during the SCG test against South Africa in January.
Hazlewood’s return to cricket during the IPL was also delayed thanks to the injury, with the pacer not playing in his first match until half way through the tournament.
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