KARACHI: Australia’s veteran fast bowler Josh Hazlewood has been ruled out of the remainder of the Ashes series, while captain Pat Cummins will return for the third Test, coach Andrew McDonald confirmed on Tuesday.
Hazlewood, who last represented Australia in the home white-ball series against India in October this year, missed the first two matches of the blockbuster series against England with a hamstring strain.
The 34-year-old is currently out with an Achilles injury and will miss the remainder of the Ashes.
McDonald shared that Hazlewood’s rehabilitation is now focused on his preparation for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, which is scheduled to be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka from February 7 to March 8.
“Unfortunately, Josh won’t be part of the Ashes series. Really, very flat for him. Two setbacks that we didn’t see and we thought he would play a big part in the series,” Macdonald said.
“It’s a completely isolated injury. It’s somewhere low in the calf to the Achilles area. His preparation will then turn towards the World Cup, which is an incredibly important campaign for us,” he added.
Meanwhile, in a positive development for the hosts, Macdonald shared that their captain Cummins is “ready to go” for the upcoming Adelaide Test, insisting the 32-year-old has no worries about going into the fixture despite being sidelined since July with a hip stress injury.
“His body is ready for next week, barring anything else, and I expect Pat to flip the coin and put the blazer on,” MacDonald said.
“Bate won’t have any competitive opportunities, which is something we’ve done with Bate before long layoffs, where we’ve taken some time and effort to rebuild his body.
“He was out there at Allan Border Field, when everyone was at the Cuppa, and he simulated what a match would be like there with a lot of mantras. So we feel how well prepared he will be.”
Despite the absence of the veteran pace duo, Australia dominated arch-rivals England in the first two Tests, winning both matches by eight wickets and taking a 2–0 lead in the five-match series.
The third Ashes Test will be held in Adelaide from December 17 to 21 and will be a must-win match for England led by Ben Stokes.