Australia's Injury Crisis Deepens as Hazlewood Misses Entire T20 World Cup

Australia has suffered a major blow ahead of the T20 World Cup after senior fast bowler Josh Hazlewood was ruled out of the tournament due to injury, extending the team’s growing fitness concerns. The 35-year-old pacer, who had already missed the Ashes 2025–26 series, failed to recover in time for the global event. Although Hazlewood was named in Australia’s preliminary squad, he remained in Sydney while the rest of the team travelled to Sri Lanka last week.

With just five days remaining before Australia’s opening match against Ireland in Colombo, team officials confirmed that Hazlewood had been declared unfit, forcing him to withdraw from the 10th edition of the T20 World Cup.

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Hazlewood’s absence leaves a significant gap in Australia’s bowling attack, particularly given his experience, accuracy, and effectiveness with the new ball. His ability to control runs during the powerplay and deliver in high-pressure matches was expected to be crucial on subcontinental pitches.

Australia has already been dealing with multiple injury concerns, and Hazlewood’s setback further complicates their preparations as the tournament approaches. The team management now faces the challenge of reshaping their pace unit at a critical stage. Cricket Australia is expected to name a replacement in the coming days as the defending champions look to regroup quickly and fine-tune their combination ahead of their World Cup opener.

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