Josh Hazlewood got back on the cricket pitch after four months of injury lay-off on Monday playing for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) against the Lucknow Super Giants in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL).
He looked in good stead and bowled in a smooth rhythm on a bowler-friendly Ekana wicket and ended up with two scalps for 15 in three overs. However, his participation in IPL has not pleased former Australian skipper Michael Clarke as he thinks that the bowler should have rested and prepared himself for the upcoming World Test Championship against India in June rather than slogging in the IPL.
What did Clarke say about Josh Hazlewood playing IPL?
“I don’t know why he’s over (there in India) playing IPL. I don’t know why he’s not over here in Australia preparing to play Test match cricket,” Clarke told Fox Sports.
“I know they’ll have people over there, in the nets he’ll be bowling more than what the IPL players are bowling, in preparation for Test match cricket,”
“But I just don’t know if him bowling three overs, four overs right now is his best preparation for an Ashes series, after the injuries he’s had and the amount of time he’s had out of Test cricket,” he added.
When asked if Cricket Australia could have intervened and prevented him from playing IPL, Clarke said, "They can do it now. They can stop you from going. But it’s India. Are you kidding? No one is saying no to India."
Australian selection chief George Bailey defends Josh Hazlewood. What did he say?
Hazlewood suffered an achilles tendon injury in January which forced him to sit out of the Border-Gavaskar trophy. Cricket Australia's chief selector George Bailey believes that IPL is the apt way for Hazlewood to regain his match fitness ahead of the WTC Final and the Ashes by gradually increasing his workload and the IPL is the perfect platform as he just needs to bowl four overs.
"He's reasonably experienced, and he's very professional so he knows exactly what and where he'll need to be to be at his best for the Ashes," said Bailey.
"We're in constant communication, as we are with all of the players around that, so he'll be building and in some ways that smaller workload – through four-over bursts in the IPL – might be a nice build for him."
When will Josh Hazlewood be in action next?
The Australian pacer will hope to continue his good form when RCB play against Delhi Capitals on Saturday.
