Josh Hazlewood's Ashes hopes suffer fresh injury setback: Details
What's the story
Australian pacer Josh Hazlewood's participation in the ongoing Ashes 2025 series is now in jeopardy. The 34-year-old suffered a new injury during his hamstring rehabilitation. Hazlewood had already missed the first two Tests after suffering a hamstring injury while playing for Victoria last month. He was scheduled to join the Australian squad in Brisbane for further rehab, but that trip has now been canceled due to his recent Achilles soreness complaint.
Injury report
Cricket Australia provides update on Hazlewood's condition
Cricket Australia released a statement saying, "Josh Hazlewood reported achilles soreness this week during his rehabilitation from recent hamstring injury." The organization confirmed that the issue is of low-grade severity and he should be able to start running and bowling again next week. This development comes as a major blow for Australia's pace-bowling depth in the early stages of Ashes, with Sean Abbott also out due to a hamstring injury.
Past injuries
Hazlewood's injury history and impact on Ashes 2025
Hazlewood's injury woes have been a recurring theme in recent years, with other injuries cropping up soon after a major one. He had missed three Tests after suffering a side strain in the first home Test of the 2022-23 season. After returning, he suffered ongoing Achilles soreness and missed an entire tour of India early this year. He wasn't selected for the World Test Championship final in June due to slightly being underdone in his recovery process.
Current situation
Hazlewood's recent injury and its implications
Last summer, Hazlewood had suffered a side strain in the first Test against India and missed the second Test. He returned for the third Test but strained his calf, missing out on two more matches. His only Sheffield Shield game of this summer was when he strained his hamstring while playing for New South Wales against Victoria. The injury wasn't detected by a scan initially, sparking fears of a tendon issue.
Ongoing issues
Australia's injury woes continue in Ashes 2025
Australia has been plagued by injuries even before the start of the series. A back issue had forced skipper Pat Cummins to miss the first two Tests in Perth and Brisbane. Opener Usman Khawaja didn't open in both innings in Perth due to a back injury and was eventually ruled out of the ongoing pink-ball Test at Gabba after pulling up sore during training.