Josh Hazlewood set to return for Sri Lanka T20Is at home

Australia pacer Josh Hazlewood is set to make his comeback in international cricket in the five-match T20I series against Sri Lanka at home. He hasn’t played a game since sustaining a side strain during the first game of the Ashes in Brisbane. Australia went on to win the five-match series by 4-0. He was set to make a comeback against the Kiwis at home but the series got postponed due to COVID-19 restrictions in New Zealand for people coming from outside the country.

Hazlewood picked up the injury during the third day of the first game at the Gabba. He didn’t bowl enough overs on the day as England skipper Joe Root and Dawid Malan threatened to stage a comeback at the end of the day. However, both the batters got out early and their side went on to lose the game by nine wickets. His injury meant Jhye Richardson played the second game and took a five-wicket haul in the second innings.

Meanwhile, the right-arm pacer has expressed his disappointment of missing the Ashes but praised his team for the way they performed. He also said that he can breathe easy with the New Zealand series getting postponed.

“It’s been a frustrating couple of weeks, no doubt, watching away on TV with the rest of the country, but the boys have been fantastic,” he said at the announcement of 2022 Men’s T20 World Cup fixtures in Sydney according to ESPNCricinfo. “Definitely back for the Sri Lankan T20s, can take it a bit easier now with New Zealand not coming, got a couple of weeks up my sleeve to get right.”

Looking forward to play the IPL, says Josh Hazlewood

The 31-year-old added that he is expected to play a part in wins for his country and is looking forward to play the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League (IPL). However, he also noted that he can’t play every game for his country given the demands of international cricket these days.

“I expected to play a part in wins for Australia and get a game here and there in the IPL, but that opportunity for games in a row makes a huge difference. You learn so much in each game, and they are each a bit different. It definitely exceeded what I thought I could do in that format, but I was quietly confident of playing my role.

“It’s pretty much impossible to play all the games for Australia. We’ll have to prioritise whether it’s red-ball over white-ball or vice-versa, depending on how your body is travelling,” Hazlewood added.