Josh Hazlewood’s World Cup Start in Doubt as Australia Add Sean Abbott as Reserve

Australia’s pace bowler Josh Hazlewood may be unavailable for the initial matches of the T20 World Cup as he stays in Sydney to continue recovering from an Achilles injury. To cover for him, Sean Abbott has been named as a travelling reserve in Australia’s World Cup squad.

Meanwhile, Glenn Maxwell, Nathan Ellis, and Tim David are scheduled to link up with the squad in Colombo after missing the recent tour of Pakistan. Australia will face the Netherlands in a warm-up match on Thursday before opening their tournament against Ireland on February 11.

Hazlewood had earlier expressed optimism about being fit in time, saying last month that he expected to be ready after injury ruled him out of the Ashes.

Injury Setbacks Shape Selection Strategy

Hazlewood’s fitness troubles began with a hamstring strain that sidelined him for the start of the England series, followed by an Achilles issue during rehabilitation. Australia’s selectors and medical staff have opted for a cautious approach, prioritising recovery over immediate travel.

"We felt with Josh it was more practical and beneficial for him to continue his rehabilitation at home in a familiar environment before travelling to Sri Lanka," selector Tony Dodemaide said.

"With Nathan also completing his return to play we decided to bring Sean with us as fast bowling cover should anything come up at short notice. Sean is an accomplished and versatile international player who has experienced numerous World Cup campaigns. It made sense for him to stay with the group following the Pakistan tour."

Injuries Mount Across Australian Squad

Australia has already lost Pat Cummins from the tournament after he required additional recovery time from a back injury. Ben Dwarshuis was added to the final 15-man squad, while Matthew Short was replaced by Matt Renshaw.

With Josh Hazlewood injury worries and growing depth concerns, Australia’s T20 World Cup squad faces a testing build-up ahead of the global event.