Ashes series injury updates : England and Australia have each lost one of their top players from the Ashes campaign, as more disappointing news emerged on Tuesday.
Josh Hazlewood and England pace ace Mark Wood have both been ruled out for the remainder of the Ashes series.
With captain Pat Cummins already absent from the Australian side during the opening Tests, Hazlewood’s hamstring issue leading into the first match proved to be a major setback for the hosts.
The situation has now worsened, with Australian coach Andrew McDonald confirming to Code Sports on Tuesday that Hazlewood will miss the rest of the series.
He had a couple of setbacks we didn’t anticipate, McDonald said.
Double Blow as Australia and England Lose Key Players for the Ashes
We expected him to play a major role in the series, so it’s disappointing that he won’t get that chance.
McDonald also confirmed that Hazlewood has been dealing with a related Achilles problem.
With Nathan Lyon unexpectedly left out of the Australian XI for the pink-ball Test, the bowling unit in Brisbane looked very different from usual.
Mitchell Starc was the only member of Australia’s renowned four-man bowling group to take the field, joining Scott Boland, Brendan Doggett, and Michael Neser to claim all 20 wickets.
Josh Hazlewood Ruled Out: Major Setback for Australia
The quartet of Starc, Lyon, Cummins and Hazlewood — boasting 418, 562, 309 and 295 Test wickets respectively — is regarded as one of the most dependable bowling units Australia has ever produced.
A statement from Cricket Australia, released on the eve of the second Test, indicated that Hazlewood was unlikely to regain full fitness before the series wraps up at the SCG in January.
Josh Hazlewood reported Achilles soreness this week while rehabilitating from his recent hamstring injury, the statement read.
It is a low-grade concern, and he is expected to resume running and bowling next week.
England spearhead out of the Ashes
On Tuesday afternoon, England confirmed that Wood has been ruled out for the rest of the Ashes.
The 35-year-old fast bowler had returned from a hamstring strain to feature in the opening Test, but a knee injury suffered in Perth means he won’t recover in time to take any further part in the series.
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It’s a major setback for England, as Wood was their most threatening bowler during the previous Ashes tour, while Jofra Archer has struggled to make a strong impact in the first two Tests.
Matthew Fisher has been promoted from the Lions squad and will join England’s Ashes contingent to reinforce their bowling options.
Nathan Lyon is expected to return for the third Test in Adelaide, but the 140-Test veteran didn’t hide his frustration when speaking about his omission with Channel 7.
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When asked about his chat with chairman of selectors George Bailey, he replied,
Short.
He added, I was absolutely filthy about it, but there’s nothing I can do. I’ll just focus on helping the guys prepare and doing whatever I can to contribute to the result we want here.
I’m not the first player to miss a Test, and I won’t be the last.
But I’m definitely gutted, because I know the impact I can have for Australia, especially at a venue like this.
I’m extremely disappointed, but I’ll do everything possible to make sure the boys are ready to go.
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