“Josh Hazlewood returned home from the IPL last weekend after experiencing minor side soreness after the completion of his most recent IPL match,” a CA spokesperson said.
“After a brief and precautionary rest period, Hazlewood returned to high intensity bowling last week and will continue to increase his bowling workloads in preparation for the WTC and Ashes series. Hazlewood is considered fit and available for the WTC and Ashes Series.”
Since the start of that England series, Hazlewood has only been able to play four Tests, although in Pakistan and Sri Lanka, that was due to the balance of Australia’s side where they included the extra spinner.
Over that same period where his Tests have been limited, Hazlewood’s stature as a T20 bowler has risen enormously and he reached No. 1 in the rankings in June 2022 after helping Australia win the T20 World Cup for the first time.
“If you have to focus on either a strength period or bowl a few more balls at training when you are playing with the white ball, at the detriment of maybe not being 100 percent for those games, then it puts you in a better place for a Test series that follows,” he said. “Just little things like that we’re talking about with coaches or medical staff. That will be something I’ll look to do in the next little period.”
Australia initially named a 17-player squad for the tour but that needs to be trimmed to 15 names for the final by May 28.
As has become the norm for them there is no tour match in the lead-up with the squad instead training at Beckenham, south of London, ahead of the final lead-in to facing India on June 7. All six Tests on the tour are played in less than two months.
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