Josh Hazlewood cleared to join Australia's squad for Ashes 2025.
Sean Abbott ruled out of first Test due to left hamstring strain
Ashes 2025 series commences in Perth from November 21
Australian fast bowler Josh Hazlewood has received clearance for the Ashes 2025 series after precautionary scans allayed concerns over hamstring tightness.
However, fellow paceman Sean Abbott faces exclusion from the Australia squad after sustaining a left hamstring strain during first-class matches. Both players underwent medical assessments this week as Australia prepare for the upcoming series, which starts in Perth on November 21.
Fitness Update Issued For Hazlewood
Most of Australia's Ashes Test players are gaining match practice in first-class fixtures this week, ahead of the Ashes 2025 series opener. Fast bowlers Hazlewood and Abbott both left New South Wales' match against Victoria on Wednesday for medical scans.
Hazlewood has now been cleared and will join the Test squad in Perth, while Abbott was ruled out with a left hamstring strain.
Australian skipper Pat Cummins, himself recovering from a back injury that rules him out of the first Test, sounded optimistic about Hazlewood's fitness when he spoke to the media in Sydney.
They both got scans," Cummins said of Hazlewood and Abbott, according to the Nine Network. "I haven't 100% got across all the details but I think Joshy was pretty chipper."
"Obviously we're a week away from the Test series and you always kind of err on the side of caution and they wanted to find out what was happening before pushing it," he added.
Cricket Australia subsequently confirmed the 34-year-old Hazlewood had reported tightness in his right hamstring. However, precautionary scans cleared him of injury, and he will practise as planned leading into the first Test.
Selectors have chosen Scott Boland, Brendan Doggett, and regular pace options Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood, alongside spinner Nathan Lyon, in their first Test lineup.
Australia's Ashes 2025 Schedule
The Ashes 2025 series begins in Perth from November 21 to 25. The first Test of the 2025-26 Ashes in Perth stands out due to its novelty – it is both the first Ashes test at the new Perth Stadium and the first series opener in Western Australia since the early 1980s.
A day-night Test then follows at the Gabba in Brisbane, commencing on 4 December. The series subsequently moves to Adelaide, with Melbourne and Sydney hosting the remaining Test matches.
(With AP Inputs)
