Josh Hazlewood, the Australian pace spearhead, has been officially ruled out for the remainder of the ongoing Ashes series due to persistent hamstring and Achilles tendon injuries. This is a significant blow to the Australian team, already dealing with a series of injury concerns.
Hazlewood’s recent years have been plagued by injuries, preventing him from consistently featuring in the national side. He was notably absent during Australia’s 2-0 series lead at the Gabba, and hopes of his return were dashed when a fresh Achilles issue surfaced, preventing him from joining the squad in Brisbane.
Coach Andrew McDonald confirmed the unfortunate news, stating that Hazlewood’s focus will now shift towards preparing for the 2026 T20 World Cup. “He will be out of the series and his preparation will then shift towards the (2026 T20) World Cup, which is an incredibly important campaign for us but unfortunately Josh won’t be a part of the Ashes,” McDonald said. He also expressed his disappointment for Hazlewood, acknowledging the setback and the missed opportunity for him to contribute significantly to the series. “It’s really flat for him. A couple of setbacks we didn’t see coming. We thought he’d play a huge part in the series. We really feel for him that he won’t get that opportunity.”
This latest setback follows Hazlewood’s absence from the entire Test tour of Sri Lanka earlier this year. He also only participated in two out of five possible Tests in the previous home series against India, highlighting the recurring nature of his injury woes.
However, there’s a silver lining for the Australian camp. Captain Pat Cummins, who missed the first two Tests due to a back injury, is confirmed to return for the third match in Adelaide. This will undoubtedly bolster the team’s morale and strengthen their bowling attack.
Australia’s Ashes campaign has been significantly impacted by injury concerns.
* Besides Cummins and Hazlewood, opener Usman Khawaja also suffered a back injury that restricted his movement in Perth.
* Khawaja was a late withdrawal from the Gabba match after experiencing soreness following a training session.
- Speculation arose soon after Hazlewood’s hamstring injury was initially revealed, suggesting that the injury was potentially more severe than initially assessed, involving damage to both the tendon and the muscle.
In Perth, Scott Boland and Brendan Doggett replaced Cummins and Hazlewood, while Michael Neser was brought in for the Brisbane match, replacing spinner Nathan Lyon.
Hazlewood’s injury history reveals a pattern of missed opportunities. Side and calf injuries limited him to just two out of five Tests in the triumphant series against India last summer. He was also sidelined for the subsequent tour of Sri Lanka.
He will conclude this summer having played in only half of Australia’s last 20 Test matches.
Prior to this, injuries caused him to miss four out of five Ashes Tests when England last toured in the 2021/22 summer, as well as the entire 2023 tour of India, further demonstrating the impact of these physical setbacks on his career.
Hazlewood’s absence now paves the way for Scott Boland, or potentially Michael Neser, to retain their place in the XI for the third Test and beyond.
Boland has consistently been the leading understudy for the pace-bowling attack in recent years.
Neser is coming off a five-wicket haul that played a crucial role in securing victory at the Gabba. This makes him a strong contender to stay in the team.
- His performance demonstrated his ability to perform under pressure and contribute significantly to the team’s success.
The Australian team will need to adapt and rely on their depth as they continue their Ashes campaign without the experienced Josh Hazlewood. The return of Pat Cummins offers a significant boost, but the team will need other bowlers to step up and fill the void left by Hazlewood’s absence.