Alarm bells for Australia! Josh Hazlewood suffers calf pressure, out of Scotland T20Is

Australia’s T20I squad for the upcoming series against Scotland has received a significant blow with the news that star pacer Josh Hazlewood will miss the matches due to a calf strain.

The injury, sustained during training last week, has forced Hazlewood to sit out the series, raising concerns about Australia’s pace attack heading into the crucial home summer against India.

Riley Meredith Returns to Squad

To fill the void left by Josh Hazlewood, Riley Meredith, a player who hasn’t represented Australia in T20Is since 2021, has been recalled to the squad. Meredith has been in impressive form in English domestic cricket, particularly in the T20 Blast, where he has consistently taken wickets. His performances have earned him a well-deserved spot in the Australian T20I team.

Second Blow to Australia’s Pace Attack: Josh Hazlewood

This is the second blow to Australia’s pace attack for the Scotland series, as Spencer Johnson had earlier been ruled out with a side strain. The absence of both Hazlewood and Johnson has opened the door for other pacers like Xavier Bartlett, Sean Abbott, and Nathan Ellis to showcase their skills and prove their worth at the international level.

Australia’s T20I Squad for Scotland

The Australia T20I squad for the Scotland series now includes:

• Mitchell Marsh (capt)
• Sean Abbott
• Xavier Bartlett
• Cooper Connolly
• Tim David
• Nathan Ellis
• Jake Fraser-McGurk
• Cameron Green
• Aaron Hardie
• Travis Head
• Josh Inglis (wk)
• Riley Meredith
• Marcus Stoinis
• Adam Zampa

Focus on Remaining Bowlers

With Hazlewood out of the picture, the onus will be on the remaining Australian bowlers to deliver consistent performances and ensure the team’s success in the T20I series against Scotland. The series will be a crucial test for the Australian pace attack, as they look to build momentum ahead of the upcoming home summer against India.