Early on in his recuperation from a hamstring injury, Josh Hazlewood encountered Achilles tightness, which further damaged his chances of playing in the Ashes. In order to complete his recuperation, he was supposed to join the Test team in Brisbane, but that plan has already been postponed.
After being sidelined for the beginning of the series due to a hamstring injury he suffered against Victoria last month, the right-arm pacer had just started bowling off a few paces in Sydney.
“During his recuperation from a recent hamstring injury, Josh Hazlewood felt achilles soreness this week. He is anticipated to resume running and bowling next week, according to a statement from Cricket Australia that ESPNcricinfo cited. It is a low-grade concern.
Hazlewood may now have to work quickly to make it to the Melbourne or Sydney Tests, but he was never a serious chance to play in Adelaide. In recent years, the fast bowler has had a recurrent trend in which secondary injuries, especially calf and Achilles problems, tend to flare up right after he returns from a significant one.
After suffering a side strain in the first home Test of the summer in the 2022–2023 season, Hazlewood missed the following three games before making a comeback. After his early January recovery, he later suffered from chronic Achilles soreness, which prevented him from participating in the full India tour in early 2023. Due to his perceived lack of full fitness, he was also passed over for the June World Test Championship final.
Hazlewood missed the second Test in Adelaide last summer after sustaining another side injury during the first Test match against India. He suffered a calf strain after racing back for the third Test in Brisbane, which prevented him from playing in the Champions Trophy, the final two games of the summer, and the Sri Lanka tour. He eventually made a comeback halfway through the IPL.
From that point on, he had an unbroken run, playing in all five white-ball series across formats against South Africa, New Zealand, and India, the IPL, the WTC final, and three Tests in the Caribbean before making his last Sheffield Shield appearance of the summer before the Ashes.
Hazlewood suffered a hamstring strain while representing New South Wales against Victoria in that game.
Australia coach Andrew McDonald was hopeful that Hazlewood may still play later in the Ashes, despite the fact that the initial scan did not reveal the injury and there were worries about a tendon problem. He is now less likely to play in either of the final Test matches, though, as a result of the most recent setback—delays in his running and bowling workloads brought on by Achilles tightness.
Early in the Ashes, Australia’s speed depth has already been put to the test; Sean Abbott is also out with a hamstring injury. Pat Cummins was on the verge of coming back for the Gabba Test, but he has been postponed till Adelaide.
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