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In a disappointing turn of events, fast bowler Josh Hazlewood will miss the upcoming T20I series against the Scotland cricket team. However, Josh Hazlewood is expected to be available for the upcoming T20Is and ODIs series against the England cricket team later in September.
Josh Hazlewood Ruled Out Of Scotland T20Is
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For the unversed, Josh Hazlewood suffered a calf strain during his training last week but his injury is believed to be a minor one. However, the selectors have decided to treat his injury with utmost caution, considering the all-important Border-Gavaskar Trophy against India, which will kickstart later this year.
Meanwhile, Josh Hazlewood’s injury has opened the doors for another Australian pacer Riley Meredith to get back into the Australian squad. It was in 2021 when Meredith last appeared in an international match.
Riley Meredith Has Replaced Hazlewood
Meredith is a talented tall right-arm fast bowler, who is not just capable of bowling at speeds north of 140 kmph regularly but also can generate extra bounce from any surface as well.
Notably, Meredith played white-ball cricket for Somerset during the English season, taking 14 wickets at an average of 22.78 in the T20 Blast. He also picked 6 wickets in 3 one-day cup games, including an impressive 4 for 27 against Middlesex at Lord’s, helping Somerset reach the final match.
Additionally, Meredith has taken eight T20I wickets, having played against New Zealand and the West Indies cricket team three years ago.
For the Scotland series, the pace attack will now include Meredith, Xavier Bartlett, Sean Abbott, and Nathan Ellis. The pacers will be well-supported by allrounders Cameron Green, Aaron Hardie, and Marcus Stoinis with captain Mitchell Marsh possibly contributing as well. The squad also features spin options including the likes of Adam Zampa and the uncapped Cooper Connolly.
Initially, Josh Hazlewood was the only member of the big three fast bowlers of the Australian cricket team named for the full UK tour. Mitchell Starc will be participating in the ODIs against England, while Pat Cummins will be skipping the entire tour to focus on his strength and conditioning ahead of the home summer.
“The priority at the moment is to smash out some gym work and start reassessing in a few weeks a path forward,” Cummins said last week. “I’m just trying to fill up the bucket again after two years of non-stop bowling. (Hoping) come that first Test (against India) in as good of a position as I have been in for a few years.”
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