Australian fast bowler Josh Hazlewood is recovering from a hamstring injury during the Ashes series. The injured Josh Hazlewood missed the first match of the Ashes series against England in Perth. He suffered a hamstring injury during a Sheffield Shield match. Hazlewood will also miss the Pink Ball Test, which begins at the Gabba on December 4th. Hazlewood bowled with the red ball in the nets in Sydney this week, and there is hope that he could be given a chance in the final stages of the series.
The return of Josh Hazlewood
Hazlewood said on Friday, “Recovery is progressing slowly. I’m bowling, running, and everything is going well. It’s probably difficult to put a timeframe on my return. I think ‘Ron’ (Australian coach Andrew McDonald) was absolutely right a few days ago. I hope I can play in the final part of the series. Hopefully, by then, the series will be in our favor.”
The second Test, a day-night match, will begin on December 4th. Hazlewood said of fellow fast bowler and Australian captain Pat Cummins, “He’s been making a fantastic recovery over the last few weeks. I saw him bowling with the pink ball on Tuesday. Everything was going very well.”
Cummins trained vigorously at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Friday. He took part in a bowling session at New Zealand Cricket Central Headquarters on Tuesday, but he will not play in the second match of the Ashes series. However, he has a good chance of returning to the team for the third match starting in Adelaide on December 17.
14-man squad for the second Test
Cricket Australia (CA) has announced a 14-member squad for the second Test, led by Steve Smith. The squad includes: Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Brendan Doggett, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser, Mitchell Starc, Jake Weatherald, and Beau Webster.
