Josh Hazlewood pulled out of IPL 2021 citing bubble fatigue. This is a big blow to the aspirations of the franchise even before the season started. CSK is a spin-heavy squad and the side has no big names in their cluster of pacers. The franchise is yet to announce a replacement for the Aussie pacer. The players are down to their preparations for the upcoming season and are looking forward to a new season as well.
The management has reportedly been taken aback by Hazlewood’s decision and was ‘not prepared’ for such a situation so close to the start of the season. CSK saw the likes of Suresh Raina and Harbhajan Singh withdraw their participation from IPL 2020 campaign last year, leaving the team deprived of considerable quality. The result was that the franchise failed to qualify for playoffs for the first time in their history. In the next season, while CSK retained Raina, Harbhajan will play for Kolkata Knight Riders.
Though the squad seems to be more balanced on paper this time around, Hazlewood’s departure is being seen by many as a huge loss.
“It is a sudden development and we were not prepared for it. We will look at various options before arriving at a decision. But we have our bases covered. So if the team management feels we don’t need a replacement, we might not seek one,” a senior CSK official told the Times of India on Thursday.
Josh Hazlewood has cited bubble fatigue reasons for pulling out from the IPL. He is looking forward to stay at home instead and get ready for a long international season.
I Decided To Rest From Cricket: Josh Hazlewood
“It’s been a long 10 months in bubbles and quarantine at different times, so I decided to have a rest from cricket and spend some time at home and in Australia in the next two months,” Hazlewood was quoted by Cricket Australia’s official website.
When it comes to naming a replacement, CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan said that it is possible that the franchise will not sign another player in place of Hazlewood. The final decision, however, is yet to be taken. The franchise will start its IPL 2021 campaign against Delhi Capitals on April 10.
Also Read: Willing To Play Any Role For Kolkata Knight Riders In IPL 2021: Shakib Al Hasan
