Australia fast bowler Hazlewood to miss early T20 World Cup

SYDENY: (Web Desk) Australia’s preparations for the upcoming Twenty20 World Cup have been hit by more injury setbacks, with fast bowler Josh Hazlewood ruled out of the early stages of the tournament. The 35-year-old, who missed the entire Ashes series against England and has not played cricket since November, will remain in Sydney to continue his recovery from hamstring and Achilles injuries.

In Hazlewood’s place, Sean Abbott has been called up as a travelling reserve. Selector Tony Dodemaide said, “We felt with Josh it was more practical and beneficial for him to continue his rehabilitation at home in a familiar environment before travelling to Sri Lanka.” He added, “Sean is an accomplished and versatile international player who has experienced numerous World Cup campaigns. It made sense for him to stay with the group following the Pakistan tour.”

Pakistan whitewash Australia with massive T20 victory

Australia is already struggling after being whitewashed 3-0 by Pakistan in a warm-up series and having lost their last five T20 matches. Their challenges increased further as star paceman Pat Cummins has been ruled out of the entire tournament due to a lower back injury. Cummins had hoped to recover in time but will be replaced by Ben Dwarshuis.

Other players, including fast bowler Nathan Ellis and big-hitters Glenn Maxwell and Tim David, are expected to join the touring squad on Tuesday after missing the Pakistan series.

Australia will play all their Group B matches in Sri Lanka, starting with a clash against Ireland in Colombo on February 11. They will also face co-hosts Sri Lanka, Oman, and Zimbabwe as they look to recover from a shaky lead-up to the tournament.