Despite being 2-0 up in the Ashes, Australia have been dealt a major blow with frontline pacer Josh Hazlewood ruled out of the remainder of the Ashes Test series due to a combination of hamstring and Achilles injuries. The 33-year-old, who was expected to play a pivotal role in the five-Test contest, will now take care of his body in order to recover in time for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup beginning February 7. His dream to be part of the Ashes winning side this year is over now.
Hazlewood initially picked up a hamstring injury while turning out for New South Wales in the Sheffield Shield last month, ruling him out of the first two Tests in Perth and Brisbane. Australia managed to take a 2-0 lead without him, but hopes of his return suffered a fresh setback last week when he developed an Achilles problem. Any possibility of playing in the remaining matches has been eliminated due to the complication.
Run of injuries derails Hazlewood’s Test summer
“Unfortunately, Josh won’t be a part of the Ashes,” Australia coach Andrew McDonald said on Tuesday. “Really, really flat for him. A couple of setbacks that we didn’t see coming, and we thought he would play a huge part in the series. It’s a totally separate injury. It’s somewhere lower in the calf to Achilles region. His preparation will then shift towards the World Cup, which is an incredibly important campaign for us.”
The only positive for Australia is the imminent return of captain Pat Cummins for the third Test in Adelaide, where the side will hope the bowling unit continues its dominance despite the loss of one of its most experienced and reliable campaigners.
Hazlewood, meanwhile, has endured a difficult few years struggling with repeated injuries. He played only two of five Tests in last summer’s Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT), missed the Sri Lanka tour that followed, and was absent for four of five Ashes Tests in the 2021-22 home series. He did not take part in the entire 2023 tour of India either. By the end of this summer, Hazlewood will have featured in just 10 of Australia’s last 20 Tests.
His absence now opens the door for Scott Boland or Michael Neser to retain their spots. Boland has been the preferred backup seamer in recent years, while Neser strengthened his case with a maiden Test five-wicket haul that sealed victory in Brisbane.
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