Hazlewood should be fit for Ashes opener

Australia opening bowler Josh Hazlewood should be fit for the Ashes opener but will not play in the opening round of Sheffield Shield matches.
The first class competition is being used as Ashes preparation but Hazlewood has not sufficiently recovered from the injury that sent him home from Bangladesh.
The seamer will miss New South Wales’ pink ball match against South Australia at the Adelaide Oval.
Hazlewood said on Tuesday at the kit launch for Australia’s 2017/18 season: “The side is really good. I’ve been off the full run the last three or four sessions, so getting back to 100 per cent. I’m probably about 85-90 per cent.
“The timing was a bit unfortunate but it’s given me a chance to freshen up and get some good work in the gym and on the running track.
“I’m feeling nice and fit.
“It’ll be good to put everything together in club cricket – bowl 10-12 overs; field for a couple of hours.”
Hazlewood feels that the Ashes preparations are in good shape and all the bowlers should be ready to face England despite having different roads to the opener in Brisbane.
He added: “You’d much rather play one or two (games), I guess, then freshen up in that third week.
“But you can always just bowl a little bit less at training in those days leading into the Test.
“There’s still a decent enough gap there.”
There has been much talk about Australia’s last clash with England on home soil where Mitchell Johnson tore through the English but Hazlewood feels spinner Nathan Lyon will be key.
He went on: “It wasn’t just all about Mitch. He obviously got the rewards but, on any other day, Ryno could have got the 30-odd wickets,” he said.
“Gaz (offspinner Nathan Lyon) is obviously going to be key in that talk as well.
“Hopefully, we can mirror that … keep that pressure building.”
Latest
-
News
Eoin Morgan believes there is still room for all three formats
England 50-over World Cup-winning captain Eoin Morgan...
-
News
Ricky Ponting predicts big future for Prithvi Shaw
Delhi Capitals head coach Ricky Ponting is...
-
News
‘My experiences at Yorkshire were always good’, says Ajmal Shahzad
Senior players at Headingley “took me under their wing”, says the former fast bowler.
-
News
Bangladesh hopeful of hosting Sri Lanka despite lockdown
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) remain hopeful...
-
News
Sachin Tendulkar hospitalised with coronavirus
The 47-year-old former India batsman tested positive for Covid-19 last weekend.
-
News
De Villiers names all-time IPL XI, names Dhoni as captain
Ahead of the start of the new IPL season, Royal Challengers Bangalore star AB de Villiers has named his all-time XI of the competition.
-
News
Feroze Khushi keen to move on from Essex celebrations incident
Khushi, a practicing Muslim, had alcohol poured over him as Essex players celebrated winning the Bob Willis Trophy at Lord’s last September.
-
News
Ollie Pope recalls moment England knew success in India would be uphill struggle
Pope revealed he was told by India’s captain Virat Kohli: “This is the last of the flat wickets.”
-
News
Chennai Super Kings: Hazlewood withdraws from IPL 2021
Jos Hazlewood became the third Australia international to withdraw from the 2021 edition of the Indian Premier League.
-
News
Ollie Robinson grateful for ‘invaluable’ time spent with two of England’s finest
The 27-year-old spent last summer travelling, netting, chatting and watching two all-time greats in James Anderson and Stuart Broad.