Josh Hazlewood cleared from fitness concerns but Abbott out of Ashes Test

Josh Hazlewood cricket action

Hazlewood's career includes 295 wickets maintaining an average of 24.21 during his 76-Test career

Published 30 minutes ago

The green light was given to Hazlewood to link up with Australia's squad ahead of the opening Ashes match post-injury worries, although compatriot Sean Abbott has been ruled out

Each encountered hamstring injuries during their match for their state team versus Victoria in the Sheffield Shield this past Wednesday

Scans showed Hazlewood, 34 did not sustain a muscle strain. The uncapped Abbott, 33, suffered a significant hamstring issue

Captain Pat Cummins is out of the opening Test, starting November 21, therefore missing of another established pace bowler such as Hazlewood would have been a major blow

Abbott would have been doubtful to feature during the Western Australia Test, while Hazlewood will combine Starc and Boland as the primary pace attack

The captain, rehabilitating from back issues, appears to be on track to return for the Brisbane match in Brisbane starting on 4 December

Top-order player Smith will captain the side while Cummins is out

Similar to most the Australia players, Hazlewood is involved in ongoing fixtures of domestic cricket ahead of the historic rivalry

Before this week, he had not played domestic first-class games for New South Wales since last season

He experienced stiffness in his posterior chain near the conclusion of Victoria's second innings on Wednesday exiting the play taking preventive measures

Neither Hazlewood nor Abbott participated in batting for New South Wales' second innings as they lost by 300 runs

"There's seven days until the Test matches - typically prefer precautionary measures," said Cummins

"The medical staff sought to identify the exact situation ahead of risking that could worsen the condition"

"He seldom shows him chipper, so it was good observing his positive demeanor"

"He knows his body thoroughly. He appeared somewhat concerned (and) wanted to get it checked out"

Abbott earned 57 international selections for Australia in limited-overs formats

Without Test experience the pace bowler is the other seamer in the squad, acting as backup for Starc, Boland and Hazlewood

Sara Wilson
Sara Wilson

A tech enthusiast and reviewer with a passion for exploring cutting-edge innovations and sharing practical insights.