Kamal Ghorui
Australia’s T20 World Cup preparations have suffered a massive setback with veteran pacer Josh Hazlewood ruled out of the tournament, leaving the former champions without their famed “Big Three” quicks at a global event for the first time since 2011. The 35-year-old has not played since injuring his hamstring during a Sheffield Shield match in November, and selectors have now confirmed that his recovery timeline makes participation too risky.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!National selector Tony Dodemaide admitted the team had initially hoped Hazlewood would regain fitness during the latter stages of the tournament but recent medical updates forced a rethink. “We were hopeful Josh would be back to match fitness by the Super Eights stage but the latest indications are he is still some time away,” Dodemaide said. “Trying to accelerate his program will carry too much of a risk.”
Cricket Australia also confirmed that no immediate replacement would be named, with management opting to assess their needs as the tournament progresses.Hazlewood’s absence, combined with Pat Cummins’ injury and Mitchell Starc’s retirement from T20 Internationals, marks the first World Cup since March 2011 without any member of Australia’s iconic pace trio.
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The development leaves captain Mitch Marsh short of experienced fast-bowling options ahead of the opening clash against Ireland in Colombo, with Xavier Bartlett and Ben Dwarshuis currently the only fully fit frontline quicks. Nathan Ellis is racing against time to be match-ready, while Sean Abbott remains a travelling reserve who could be drafted in later.Despite the depleted pace stocks, Marsh remains optimistic about Australia’s balance, hinting at a spin-heavy strategy in Sri Lankan conditions. “We’ve been able to build a lot of depth within our squad… we’ve got a lot of confidence in the guys to do the job,” he said, praising Adam Zampa and Matthew Kuhnemann while highlighting the all-round value of Marcus Stoinis and Cameron Green.Coming off a tough 3-0 series loss to Pakistan, Australia now face a defining challenge — reshaping their bowling identity.
