Josh Hazlewood Fit To Participate in the WTC Finals and the Ashes

The Australian cricket board will breathe a sigh of relief with the fitness report of Josh Hazlewood. The fast bowler missed out on the Border-Gavaskar trophy because of his injury and was also not part of the first leg of the IPL. He made his IPL comeback but played only a couple of games before he complained about the soreness. The player was benched for the rest of the season and a final report on his fitness was awaited.

With Australia all set to play the World Test Championship finals and the Ashes in quick succession, the cricketing board will not want any injury concerns. Former Australian captain Michael Clarke had also expressed displeasure over the participation of Josh Hazlewood in this year’s IPL. In order to avoid any injury before two important series, Pat Cummins had pulled out of the competition even before the start of this.

“Josh Hazlewood is considered fit and available,” declares Cricket Australia

Cricket Australia announced the fitness status of Josh Hazlewood before his return to international cricket. “Josh Hazlewood returned home from the IPL last weekend after experiencing minor side soreness after the completion of his most recent IPL match. After a brief and precautionary rest period, Hazlewood returned to high-intensity bowling last week. He will continue to increase his bowling workloads in preparation for the WTC and Ashes series. Hazlewood is considered fit and available for the WTC and Ashes Series,” said the spokesperson.

Josh Hazlewood is one of Australia’s best bowlers across the format. His absence from the Border-Gavaskar series was visible as the team lost the series 2-1. The fast bowler’s inclusion will provide the Australian bowlers with a major advantage. Especially, when they face India in the WTC Finals and then England in the Ashes because of his reputation for accuracy and frequent comparisons to the legendary Glenn McGrath. Josh Hazlewood has struggled with injuries over the past two years. Moreover, he had to take a four-month break from bowling to heal after suffering an Achilles injury in January. Now, as Australia plays 6 test matches frequently, it will be interesting to see how Pat Cummins will manage the workload.