Josh Hazlewood targets full fitness ahead of T20 World Cup after injury setbacks

Australian pacer Josh Hazlewood is confident of being ready for the start of Australia's T20 World Cup campaign in Sri Lanka next month, despite a string of recent injuries that ruled him out of the Ashes and disrupted his preparation.

Hazlewood missed the start of the England series due to a hamstring strain and later suffered an Achilles issue during his rehabilitation. 

As a result, he will not feature in the latter stages of the Big Bash League, where he is on the Sydney Sixers' supplementary list, nor in the T20Is against Pakistan in late January. 

However, he is aiming to participate in a warm-up match ahead of the World Cup, which begins with Australia facing Ireland on 11 February.

Chair of selectors George Bailey had previously suggested the possibility of giving Pat Cummins extra time if required, but Australia can only carry one player unavailable at the start of the tournament.

"Everything's going to plan," Hazlewood said. "We took a few extra weeks once we couldn't play the Test matches. I had a couple of bowls off the half-run last week. Running's going well, all the strength work's going well, so, yeah, on track."

Hazlewood's injury struggles are well documented. 

Since the 2020–21 season, he has completed only one home summer without injury, which included an unbroken ten-Test stretch between the middle of 2023 during the Ashes and the start of the 2024–25 series against India, before calf and side strains interrupted his run. 

Previously, he had endured four Tests in a month during the World Test Championship final and a subsequent series in the West Indies.

The pacer has worked closely with medical staff to investigate potential recurring factors behind his injuries, particularly side strains. 

He attributed his recent hamstring strain to bad luck, while the Achilles issue was linked to ongoing ankle niggles.

"My gym work is mostly the same, but from a bowling workload perspective, we are trying to vary things a bit leading into the next red-ball game," Hazlewood explained.

Prior to his injuries, Hazlewood had been in prime form during Australia's white-ball series against India in October. 

He picked up the hamstring strain after bowling three consecutive days in a Sheffield Shield match against Victoria at the SCG. He may adjust his training approach ahead of red-ball cricket, likely in preparation for the Tests against Bangladesh in August.

"Sometimes when one thing goes, another resurfaces," Hazlewood said of his back-to-back injuries. "The ankle had been something I was managing over the last few years. When you start back up, sometimes your body doesn't like stopping and starting again. We are working on implementing training slightly differently, potentially bowling two or three days in a row and then having four or five days off, rather than every other day consistently."

After the T20 World Cup, Hazlewood will feature in the IPL for defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru. 

Later in the year, Australia faces a packed Test schedule, with up to 21 Tests in 11 months, including key series in India and England.

While the upcoming five-Test series in India may offer opportunities to rest and rotate bowlers, Hazlewood said planning too far ahead is difficult due to workload uncertainties.

"With white-ball cricket, you can map things out because you know your overs, but Test cricket is different," he said. "You play it by ear once the matches start. The hardest hurdle is the first one—if you get past that, things can roll on, but playing too many in a row can allow weaknesses to creep in."

Hazlewood, who turned 35 in early January, joked about his position in the attack. 

"I feel young in that attack, but I'm realistic. You have to sense when to sit one out to keep fresh for the big games," he concluded.