Paceman Josh Hazlewood says Australia is far from sure how it will compete against Sri Lanka in the first T20I of his multi-format tour on June 7.
Hazlewood dropped from the Test side in Pakistan and said he wouldn’t sleep if spider-friendly wickets called for him to ride the pine again as the tour progressed.
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On Friday, Australian white-ball captain Aaron Finch said Australia would likely start the T20 tour stage with three specialist quicks and a specialist spinner – Ashton Agar – in his bowling attack.
As Pat Cummins sits out the T20s to rest up for the Tests and ODIs, Jhye Richardson, Sean Abbott, and Kane Richardson will raise their hands even higher for selection.
But Hazlewood said no decisions had yet been made about who would get the nod for the first T20I.
“We will probably know more as the game gets closer,” he said.
“Sometimes the wickets look slightly different for four or five days than the day before and the day of the match.
“So that can change a lot, and of course, that can dictate who you play against in your team. I think we are still a long way from the XI.”
Hazlewood became a mainstay of the Aussie T20 team last year; the reliable fast only played T20Is between 2016 and 2020, but after an outstanding 2021, he was named in ICC’s T20I Team Of The Year.
However, when he reflected on his failure from the last two Tests in Pakistan, Hazlewood said he would not take it personally if he were dropped again in favor of spinners in Sri Lanka.
“Conditions dictate the bowling lineup on the subcontinent,” he said.
“After playing that first wicket (in Pakistan), I was pretty happy to be s, sidelined for the next two! It was clearly hard work for everyone.”
“I’m happy to play my part.”
Camera IconHazlewood and RCB took one win at the end of May after making it to the IPL final. Credit: Included
Hazlewood only spent “a few days” at home between his stint with the IPL’s Royal Challengers Bangalore and his flight to Sri Lanka.
He missed a significant number of cricket matches last summer with a rib injury, but Hazlewood said he was fit and able to shoot despite the IPL’s rapid turnaround.
“The body feels really good,” he said.
Hazlewood rejected the suggestion that his time in the IPL would give him an added advantage going into the Sri Lanka tour.
“I think the wickets will be a bit different here; they’ll probably be a bit slower and have a bit more spin,” he said.
“There was quite a bit of bounce on the IPL wickets, and the pace was good. It was fun. We may have something different here.”