Josh Hazlewood pronounced himself delighted to be back on a cricket field again, after his first game of the ongoing IPL season for Royal Challengers Bangalore saw him finish with excellent figures of 2-15 in an 18-run victory. But not everyone has been as enthusiastic. Michael Clarke, who captained Hazlewood in the initial stages of his career, questioned his very participation in the IPL, with Australia’s schedule for later in the year including the World Test Championship, the Ashes and the World Cup.
Hazlewood last played for Australia in early January, before Achilles tendonitis ruled him out of the entire tour of India. He has an outstanding Ashes record, with 60 wickets from 14 Tests, including 36 in eight matches played in England. “I don’t know why he’s over playing IPL,” Clarke told Fox Sports. “I don’t know why he’s not over here in Australia preparing to play Test match cricket.
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“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. It’s great to see him back playing, there’s no doubt about it, but for Australian Test cricket fans, you want to see him at his best for this Ashes series.”