Hazlewood cleared of injury but Sean Abbott ruled out of Ashes Test

Josh Hazlewood cricket action

The bowler has claimed 295 wickets maintaining an average of 24.21 during his 76-Test career

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The green light was given to Hazlewood to join the Australian team for the first Ashes Test after an injury scare, but fellow pace bowler the paceman has been ruled out

The two experienced hamstring issues during their match for their state team in the Victoria clash in domestic cricket recently

Medical examinations revealed Hazlewood, 34 did not sustain a muscle strain. The uncapped Abbott, 33, has a significant hamstring issue

Skipper Pat Cummins will miss the first Test, beginning on 21 November, meaning the absence of another established pace bowler such as Hazlewood could have proven a serious concern

The bowler stood doubtful to feature at the Perth match, as Hazlewood prepares to team up fellow quicks Starc and Boland as the primary pace attack

Cummins, currently healing from back issues, is expected to be scheduled to reappear for the second Test commencing December fourth

Top-order player Smith will captain the side in Cummins' absence

Similar to most Aussie squad members, the bowler took part in ongoing fixtures of state games building up to the Ashes

Until this match, he hadn't featured red-ball cricket representing NSW in more than a year

He noticed discomfort in his leg muscle near the conclusion of the match during the match and was substituted taking preventive measures

The two bowlers participated in batting for their team's second batting effort in a losing cause in a substantial margin

"We have one week from the Test series - typically prefer the side of caution," commented Cummins

"They needed to determine the exact situation before pushing it and potentially making anything worse"

"Uncommon to see him cheerful, therefore it was positive to see him smiling"

"He's aware of his condition really well. I think he was somewhat concerned (seeking to obtain it checked out"

The bowler collected 57 appearances for Australia in limited-overs formats

The uncapped Doggett represents additional pace options within the team, providing cover for Starc, Boland and Hazlewood

Deanna Marshall
Deanna Marshall

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