Hazlewood cleared of fitness concerns however Sean Abbott out of Ashes Test

Josh Hazlewood cricket action

The bowler has claimed 295 wickets maintaining an average of 24.21 in 76 Tests

Posted recently

The green light was given to Hazlewood to link up with the Aussie lineup for the first Ashes Test following fitness concerns, but fellow pace bowler the paceman is unavailable

The two experienced hamstring issues playing for NSW in the Victoria clash in the Sheffield Shield on Wednesday

Scans showed Hazlewood, 34 avoided a muscle strain. Abbott, 33, who hasn't played Tests, sustained a "moderate grade" injury

Team captain Cummins is out of the initial match, starting November 21, meaning the absence of another established pace bowler like Hazlewood would have been a major blow

Abbott was unlikely to play during the Western Australia Test, while Hazlewood will combine Starc and Boland forming the fast bowling unit

Cummins, who is recovering from back issues, is thought to be likely to comeback for the Brisbane match commencing December fourth

Batter Steve Smith will lead Australia during the captain's recovery

Similar to most the Australia players, Hazlewood participated in the current round of domestic cricket in preparation for the historic rivalry

Before this week, he had not played red-ball cricket for New South Wales since last season

He felt tightness in his posterior chain near the conclusion of the match during the match and was substituted for safety reasons

The two bowlers came out to bat during the follow-on innings during their defeat by three hundred runs

"We have one week from the Test series - typically prefer the side of caution," said Cummins

"They needed to determine the exact situation ahead of risking that could worsen the injury more severe"

"It's rare to get him chipper, so it was good observing his positive demeanor"

"He understands his physique thoroughly. He appeared somewhat concerned (and) wanted to get professional evaluation"

The bowler collected 57 caps with the national team in limited-overs formats

The uncapped the pace bowler represents additional pace options among the selections, acting as backup for the main pace trio

Dennis Hickman
Dennis Hickman

A seasoned journalist with a focus on UK political analysis and investigative reporting.