Ashes 2017/18: Josh Hazelwood To Play For NSW On His Return To Competitive Cricket
May 31, 2023 at 2:36 PM
Josh Hazelwood is all set to make his comeback to the Australian side in the upcoming Ashes series scheduled to begin from 23rd November. The last Ashes series in Australia was a nightmare for the English batsmen, all thanks to fiery spells of fast bowling by Mitchell Johnson. Johnson picked up 37 wickets in the last Ashes on Australian soil and single-handedly won the Ashes for the Aussies. The Aussies are looking forward to repeating the same tactics in the upcoming Ashes.
This time around the bowling reigns will be spearheaded by Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazelwood who are both returning to competitive cricket after an injury lay off. Hazelwood suffered a side strain during the first Test against Bangladesh in August.
Hazelwood returned to club cricket the past weekend and will return to the domestic circuit on Saturday when he plays for New South Wales in the four day Sheffield Shield game against Western Australia. Hazelwood will play along with his certain bowling partners in the Ashes Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon.
Before getting injured in the first Test against Bangladesh in Bangladesh, Hazlewood led Australia’s bowling attack in the absence of Mitchell Starc. Hazlewood had played 22 consecutive Tests without an injury or rest. Before missing the Test match against Bangladesh, he last missed a Test match in the 2015 Ashes Series.
Talking about Hazelwood Australia’s physio David Beakley said, “Until he suffered the side strain, ultimately we wanted him playing the first Shield game like the other boys. He hasn’t played that match but he played Premier (cricket last weekend), is expected to play this week. If he still gets a couple of Shield games in it’s pretty good preparation.”
If Hazelwood gets through the match against Western Australian unscratched, he’ll play against Queensland on 13th November which will give him a two-game experience before the first Ashes Test to be played on 23rd November at Gabba in Brisbane.