Josh Hazlewood ruled out of Ashes opener in fresh blow to Australia bowling stocks

Josh Hazlewood has been ruled out of the first Ashes Test after a second scan on the hamstring injury he reported during the recent Sheffield Shield match between New South Wales and Victoria found a low-grade tear.

The news came hours after England announced that scans on Mark Wood, whose own participation in the opening Test had been thrown into doubt after he reported stiffness in his left hamstring on the first day of their warm-up game against the Lions at Lilac Hill, had found no injury.

Hazlewood’s injury is a significant blow for an Australia side already dealing with the absence of their captain Pat Cummins due to “lumbar bone stress”. Only Mitchell Starc of their three frontline seamers remains available for selection when the series gets under way in Perth on 21 November.

Sean Abbott, who was also named in the Australia squad and injured his hamstring in the same Sheffield Shield game as Hazlewood, has also dropped out. Michael Neser was added to the squad on Saturday as cover.

“Josh Hazlewood underwent repeat imaging today that has confirmed a hamstring strain injury,” Cricket Australia said in a statement. “Initial scans Wednesday were clear of muscle strain however follow-up imaging today has confirmed the injury.

“Early imaging can occasionally underestimate low-grade muscle injuries. As a result, Hazlewood will not travel to Perth and has been ruled out of the first Ashes Test match.”

Hazlewood, who turns 35 on the day the upcoming Ashes series is due to end, had looked in superb form in the recent white-ball series against India. But his fitness has been a cause of increasing concern in recent seasons, and he missed three of the five Tests against India last year with a side strain.

The update means that England fans who went to bed on Friday fearing they would wake to news that one of their team’s key bowlers was out of the Ashes opener will instead find that their opponents are dealing with that disappointment instead, after Wood was cleared to return to training.

“Following precautionary scans on Friday, England fast bowler Mark Wood has been cleared of any concerns regarding his left hamstring,” the England & Wales Cricket Board said in a statement. “Wood will continue to train as planned in the build-up to the first Test in Perth.”

The 33-year-old will sit out the third and final day of the team’s game against the Lions, but will be available for selection when the first Test gets under way at Perth Stadium next Friday.

Wood’s fitness will come as a huge relief to an England camp that has identified high-pace bowling as their most likely route to success in the Ashes, carefully nursing the injury-prone Wood and Jofra Archer through a succession of injuries and back to full fitness in time to join the squad in Australia.

Brydon Carse, whose involvement across the first two days against the Lions was limited to facing three balls with the bat late on Friday after reporting stomach issues the previous morning, will play a full part in the game’s conclusion after making a complete recovery.

Meanwhile Rehan Ahmed has been ruled out of the remainder of the England Lions tour of Australia due to a right lower leg strain. The 21-year-old will leave Australia on Saturday to start his recovery in the UK.

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