Hazlewood was sidelined during Australia’s 4-1 Ashes victory due to a hamstring strain and subsequently developed Achilles soreness while rehabilitating. However, he is optimistic about returning to the field for the match against Ireland in Colombo on February 11.
“Everything’s going to plan,” Hazlewood shared with ESPN Cricinfo. “We took a few extra weeks since I couldn’t participate in the test matches. I had a couple of sessions bowling off the half-run last week. My running is going well, and all the strength work is progressing nicely, so, yeah, I’m on track.”
Hazlewood’s early availability will significantly benefit Australia, who are concerned about the makeup of their pace attack.
Pat Cummins has been included in the World Cup squad, but the team is contemplating postponing his return from a lumbar stress injury that led to him being rested after his lone Ashes appearance in Adelaide.
With Ashes star Mitchell Starc retiring from T20 internationals, Xavier Bartlett is poised to take the second pace bowling spot during the group’s World Cup stage.
Following the World Cup, Hazlewood will participate in the Indian Premier League. Later this year, Australia will enter an 11-month period where they are scheduled to play up to 21 Tests.
Hazlewood mentioned that it’s premature to determine his Test workload.
“(With) white ball, you can really sit down and figure it out because you know you’ll be involved for four or 10 overs typically,” he explained.
“With the red ball, it’s a bit more spontaneous. You can outline your training strategy for the first one, but once the Tests begin, it’s more about adapting and having ongoing discussions.”
(With Reuters inputs)
First Published: Jan 14, 2026 4:17 PM IST
