T20 TO ASHES NO BIG DEAL FOR JOSH
JOSH Hazlewood is confident “one or two big days” of redball training will have him Ashes ready despite a whiteball-heavy lead-up and no first-class cricket since April.
The Australian fast bowler has come from the T20 wilderness to make himself a World Cup matchwinner, ensuring he won’t see a red ball until the middle of next month at the earliest.
He took 2-19 in Australia’s opening World Cup win over South Africa after starring for Chennai in its Indian Premier League title win.
Depending on Australia’s progression though the tournament, Hazlewood could be left without a Sheffield Shield warm-up for the opening Ashes Test at the Gabba on December 8.
It could be the same case for fellow fast bowlers Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc, but Hazlewood, who has been away from home since July after also playing ODIs and T20s in the West Indies and Bangladesh, dismissed it as an issue.
“I don’t feel like I need a match of any sort,” he said from the UAE.
“It’s more the miles in the legs. One or two big days of training, where we might bowl 14 or 16 overs in a day with some fielding.
“If we get that under our belts, then I’m fine.”
Hazlewood is confident his T20 World Cup can help improve his red-ball bowling by bringing “tricks” into play.
“There are times in Tests when your T20 bowling comes into play,’’ he said.
Test spinner Nathan Lyon will start his Ashes campaign this week when NSW finally gets its Shield season started against Victoria.