Australia’s preparations for the first Ashes Test against England have taken a severe hit, as their key pace bowler Josh Hazlewood has been ruled out due to a hamstring injury. The news comes just days before the match in Perth, scheduled to begin November 21, making it a major blow to the hosts.
In a cruel twist, Hazlewood joins captain Pat Cummins on the sidelines; Cummins is already unavailable for the opener because of a back injury. The absence of these two experienced quicks significantly weakens Australia’s seam bowling strength at a crucial moment.
Injury Confirmed After Multiple Scans
Hazlewood initially left his Sheffield Shield match for New South Wales against Victoria, reporting tightness in his right hamstring. Early scans were inconclusive, and he was initially cleared of any serious damage. However, a follow-up imaging test has now confirmed a low-grade hamstring strain, leading Cricket Australia to rule him out of traveling to Perth altogether.
Officials pointed out that early imaging can sometimes underestimate such muscle injuries, meaning what looked minor at first has now been officially recognized as serious enough to force him out.Â
Reinforcements and Concerns in the Bowling Line-up
To plug the gap left by Hazlewood (and fellow injured seamer Sean Abbott), Australia has called in Michael Neser, a pace bowler with some Test experience, as cover. With both Hazlewood and Cummins unavailable, the bowling burden for the Ashes opener in Perth now rests heavily on Mitchell Starc, Scott Boland, and the off-spin of Nathan Lyon.
There is also speculation that Brendan Doggett could make his Test debut if required. Meanwhile, England has received a boost: their own fast bowler Mark Wood, who had faced concerns after leaving a warm-up game, has been cleared of any serious hamstring issue.
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