Josh Hazlewood’s Comeback Delayed After New Injury During Rehab, CA Confirms
Australia’s Ashes plans have hit another setback, with fast bowler Josh Hazlewood facing new issues as he tries to return from his hamstring injury. Just when he was hoping to step up his recovery, another problem has come up, making his path back into the Test team even tougher.
Josh Hazlewood has not yet returned to the Australian Test squad following an injury sustained during the 2023-24 summer season. Josh, who was scheduled to meet the squad in Brisbane to continue his rehabilitation from the Hamstring strain, has now been prevented from continuing with this plan after experiencing discomfort in his Achilles tendon while performing light bowling drills in Sydney, Australia. This setback comes shortly after he sustained an injury to his Hamstring while playing against Victoria, just weeks prior.
“Josh Hazlewood reported achilles soreness this week during his rehabilitation from recent hamstring injury, It is a low-grade issue and he is expected to recommence running and bowling next week,” a statement from Cricket Australia.
Hazlewood Faces Another Injury Setback
Hazlewood was never likely to play in the day-night Test in Adelaide, but this new issue makes it even harder for him to return in the Melbourne or Sydney Tests. His comebacks have often been slowed down in recent years because new problems keep popping up while he’s recovering from major injuries, especially with his calf and Achilles. Those interruptions have shaped several seasons.
He endured a side strain early in the 2022-23 home summer, missed three Tests, and then battled Achilles soreness soon after returning, which kept him out of the India tour and the World Test Championship final earlier the following year. Additional disruption followed last summer when another side strain ruled him out of the second Test against India.
A push to rejoin the attack in Brisbane resulted in a calf strain, sidelining him for the remainder of that season and much of the subsequent international calendar. Hazlewood finally found good rhythm after coming back during the IPL.
He then played the WTC final, a Test series in the West Indies, and white-ball matches against South Africa, New Zealand and India. But this strong run stopped when he hurt his hamstring while playing for New South Wales, an injury that the first scans didn’t even pick up.
