Veteran pacer Josh Hazlewood is likely to be ruled out of the second Test against England at the Gabba in Brisbane in the ongoing Ashes 2025–26 series. Incumbent captain Pat Cummins is close to making his return in the Test starting on December 4.
After missing the series opener in Perth due to a hamstring issue, Hazlewood is set to be sidelined for the second game as well. The 34-year-old is expected to join the squad in Brisbane to continue his rehabilitation, and Australia’s head coach, Andrew McDonald, is hopeful that the seasoned pacer will be fit for the remainder of the three Tests in the five-match series.
“He’s working through the first week of his rehab,” McDonald told reporters on Monday. “I’m not sure that we need to give an update on that. Once he gets further down the track and we have some rough timelines, then we’ll be in a position to communicate that. I know that he’ll be available at some point during the series. We’ve got a little bit of that early rehab to go through to formulate where he may plug into the series, but we expect him to take some part in the series.”
Signs are looking positive for Cummins’ return in the next Test, but McDonald said they would make a late call on that. A few days ago, Cummins himself said that it would be a big challenge for him to play consecutive Test matches in the ongoing series.
The Gabba will host the second Ashes Test between Australia and England from next week.
For the latest sports news follow- Revsportz