Hazlewood given the all-clear from injury however Sean Abbott ruled out of Test

Josh Hazlewood cricket action

Josh Hazlewood has taken 295 wickets with an average of 24.21 during his 76-Test career

Published half an hour ago

Hazlewood received clearance to become part of the Aussie lineup ahead of the opening Ashes match post-injury worries, but fellow pace bowler the paceman will miss the match

Both suffered hamstring injuries while representing NSW against Victoria in the Sheffield Shield this past Wednesday

Scans showed Hazlewood (34) escaped tissue injury. Abbott, 33, who hasn't played Tests, sustained a "moderate grade" injury

Skipper Pat Cummins is out of the opening Test, commencing later this month, therefore missing of another experienced fast bowler such as Hazlewood might have represented a serious concern

Abbott would have been not expected to participate in Perth, with Hazlewood set to join Starc and Boland as the primary pace attack

The captain, rehabilitating from spinal concerns, is expected to be scheduled to reappear for the second Test beginning December 4 in Brisbane

Batsman Steve Smith takes over leadership during the captain's recovery

Like many of Aussie squad members, Hazlewood is involved in ongoing fixtures of Sheffield Shield matches building up to the historic rivalry

Prior to recently, he had not played red-ball cricket for New South Wales for over twelve months

He experienced stiffness in his hamstring towards the end of the opposition's batting recently and was substituted as a precaution

Neither Hazlewood nor Abbott participated in batting for their team's second batting effort during their defeat in a substantial margin

"There's seven days until the Test matches - we consistently choose precautionary measures," commented Cummins

"The medical staff sought to identify the exact situation prior to testing it and potentially making the injury more severe"

"It's rare to get him chipper, therefore it was positive to see him smiling"

"He knows his body extremely well. I think he was a little bit worried (seeking to obtain medical assessment"

Abbott earned 57 caps for Australia in limited-overs formats

Without Test experience Brendan Doggett is the other seamer in the squad, providing cover for Starc, Boland and Hazlewood

Kayla Carpenter
Kayla Carpenter

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