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Josh Hazlewood is confident of being ready for the start of Australia’s T20 World Cup 2026 campaign, which will be co-hosted by Sri Lanka and India next
month, after seeing his Ashes hopes curtailed by injury. The right-arm pacer was ruled out of the start of the England series due to a hamstring strain and later suffered an Achilles issue during his rehabilitation.
Hazlewood will not take part in the latter stages of the Big Bash League (BBL), where he is listed as a supplementary player for the Sydney Sixers, nor will he feature in the T20I series against Pakistan in late January. However, he is targeting a warm-up match ahead of the World Cup early next month to regain match fitness.
Australia are scheduled to play their opening match of the marquee event on February 11 against Ireland. Chair of selectors George Bailey has previously indicated that Pat Cummins could be given additional time if required, but Australia are unlikely to carry more than one player who is unavailable for selection at the start of the tournament.
"Everything's going to plan. We took a few extra weeks once we couldn't make the Test matches. I had a couple of bowls off the half-run last week. Running's going well, all the strength stuff's going well so, yeah, on track,” said Hazlewood as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.
We are implementing to train in a different way: Hazlewood
The 35-year-old had been in prime form during the white-ball matches against India in October before suffering the hamstring injury, which occurred after he bowled on three consecutive days in a Sheffield Shield match against Victoria at the SCG. However, he may look to modify his training approach when he next prepares for red-ball cricket, which is likely to be ahead of the Test series against Bangladesh in August.
"Sometimes, when one thing goes and the other thing resurfaces. But it [the ankle] was probably another thing I'd been just managing over the last few years, and then it just creeps up. I guess when you start back up, sometimes your body doesn't like that stopping and getting it going [again]. So probably not as much of a dive into these two little niggles,” said Hazlewood.
"But we're still working on implementing training a different way a little bit. My gym and everything is still mostly the same, but I think purely from a bowling workload, leading into the next red-ball game, do as much as we can in terms of just dicing it up a little bit differently. Potentially bowling two or three days in a row and then having four or five days off and then doing that again, rather than Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Monday, Wednesday, Friday,” he added.
You can't plan it out for Tests: Hazlewood
Later this year, Australia will embark on a demanding schedule of up to 21 Tests in 11 months, including high-profile away series in India and England. The five-Test tour of India next January could offer a natural opportunity to rest and rotate their fast bowlers, particularly if conditions favour spin-heavy attacks. Hazlewood acknowledged that it is difficult to plan too far ahead for Tests due to the uncertainty surrounding workloads and player fitness.
"[With] white ball, you can really sit down and nut it out because you know you're involved for four or ten overs pretty much. But Test matches are more like, okay, if it's like a Perth or Melbourne Test, then you are fine to bowl in the next Test, but if it's like a Sydney Test, where Barrell [Scott Boland] bowled 50 overs, then that's a different story. With the red ball, it is a bit more on the run. You can map out the way you want to train to get ready for that first one, but I think once the Tests start then it's sort of play it by ear and have those conversations on the go,” said Hazlewood.
"I feel young in that attack. [But] I'm certainly realistic. I still think the hardest hurdle for me is the first one. So if you get over that first one, things can roll on. But if you play too many in a row, obviously weakness starts to creep in. So if you sort of sense that coming, yes, you might have to sit one out,” he added.
