After Pat Cummins was ruled out of the upcoming T20 World Cup, Australia now face the prospect of losing Hazlewood as well.
He was previously expected to miss the start of the campaign, with the Australian management hoping to have him fit by the Super Eights. However, Hazlewood has now been ruled out of the tournament entirely after failing to recover from his hamstring injury. Cricket Australia have not named a replacement yet, with Sean Abbott having recently been inducted to the squad as a travelling reserve.
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Hazlewood had not travelled with the team to Sri Lanka and remained in Sydney for recovery.
“We were hopeful Josh would be back to match fitness by the Super Eights stage, but the latest indications are that he is still some time away,” Australia selector Tony Dodemaide said. “Trying to accelerate his programme will carry too much of a risk.
“We will not be naming a replacement player immediately. We feel we are well covered for the initial games and will make any later decisions based on priority need at the time.”
