Hazlewood given the all-clear of fitness concerns but Sean Abbott out of Test

Josh Hazlewood cricket action

Josh Hazlewood has taken 295 wickets with an average of 24.21 runs per wicket in 76 Tests

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Hazlewood received clearance to link up with Australia's squad for the initial Test against England following fitness concerns, but fellow pace bowler the paceman is unavailable

Each encountered hamstring injuries while representing their state team in the Victoria clash in domestic cricket this past Wednesday

Medical examinations revealed the 34-year-old Hazlewood escaped a muscle strain. The 33-year-old Abbott, yet to debut, sustained a moderate-level injury

Skipper Pat Cummins is unavailable for the initial match, commencing later this month, meaning the absence of a key pace option in Hazlewood would have been a significant setback

Abbott would have been unlikely to play at the Perth match, while Hazlewood will combine fellow quicks Starc and Boland forming the fast bowling unit

Cummins, who is recovering from back issues, appears to be likely to comeback during the next Test beginning December 4 in Brisbane

Batsman Steve Smith will lead Australia during the captain's recovery

Like many of Aussie squad members, the bowler took part in the current round of Sheffield Shield matches ahead of the Ashes

Prior to recently, he hadn't featured red-ball cricket representing NSW in more than a year

He experienced stiffness in his leg muscle near the conclusion of Victoria's second innings during the match exiting the play taking preventive measures

Neither Hazlewood nor Abbott batted in the follow-on innings as they lost in a substantial margin

"We have one week before the international cricket - we consistently choose being cautious," said Cummins

"They wanted to find out the nature of the problem ahead of risking that could worsen the injury more severe"

"Uncommon to see him cheerful, therefore it was positive to witness his smile"

"He knows his body extremely well. He appeared a little bit worried (and) wanted to get it checked out"

Abbott has won 57 caps with the national team in ODI and T20 cricket

Without Test experience Brendan Doggett represents additional pace options in the squad, acting as backup for the primary fast bowlers

Brianna James
Brianna James

A passionate traveler and writer with over a decade of experience exploring diverse cultures and sharing stories to inspire wanderlust.