New Delhi: Former Australia pacer Mitchell Johnson slammed Josh Hazlewood for prioritising the Indian Premier League (IPL) over the national team following the Pat Cummins-led side’s defeat in the World Test Championship (WTC) final. Johnson criticised Hazlewood’s decision to return to play for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the IPL 2025 over preparing for the WTC final.
Hazlewood, who was part of RCB’s IPL 2025 title-winning squad, returned to play for the franchise after the league’s temporary suspension due to border tensions between India and Pakistan. Hazlewood had a shoulder injury concern ahead of the IPL 2025 playoffs, but returned in time to be part of RCB’s squad in the Qualifier 1 and the final.
Hazlewood was one of the Australian players to return, as some opted not to come back after the IPL 2025 suspension. The right-arm pacer played a key role in RCB’s title-winning campaign with 22 wickets in the season, including the important wicket of Punjab Kings opener Priyansh Arya in the final. RCB defeated PBKS by 6 runs in the final to win their maiden IPL title.
Hazlewood was part of Australia’s playing XI in the WTC 2023-25 final, which concluded on Saturday. The senior pacer endured a dismal outing in the all-important game as he managed only two wickets across South Africa’s two innings. The Proteas defeated Australia in the final at Lord’s to win their maiden WTC title.
In his column for the West Australian, former Australian pacer Johnson criticised Hazlewood for his decision to return to the IPL instead of preparing for the WTC final. He also pointed out how the pacer has had to deal with multiple injury concerns in his career of late.
“We’ve seen concerns about Hazlewood’s fitness in recent years, and his decision to prioritise returning to the delayed Indian Premier League over his national team preparations raised eyebrows,” wrote Johnson.
Mitchell Johson urges Australian selectors to move on from veterans
Johnson also urged the Australian selectors to start looking beyond the veteran players in the team, as he stated that the ‘big 4’ bowling attack of Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Hazlewood and spinner Nathan Lyon can’t be taken for granted. Hazlewood said the team management should look at moving the senior players out of the squad instead of giving them a potential farewell in the upcoming Ashes 2025-26.
“Our successful ‘big four’ bowling attack of Mitchell Starc, Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon can’t be taken for granted as a lock going forward either,” wrote Johnson.
“If veteran players are sticking around just for the Ashes as a send-off, it does beg the question of whether that’s the right mindset. It’s crucial that we embrace the future and build confidence in selecting our next Test players,” he added.
There are question marks on the future of a number of senior Australian players, including the likes of Starc, Hazlewood and Usman Khawaja, among others, as the team looks at a potential transition in Test cricket. Johnson feels players like Sam Konstas, Josh Inglis, and Scot Boland deserve to get a chance to stake a claim for permanent spots in the Australian Test squad.
“Players on the fringe such as Sam Konstas, Josh Inglis and Scott Boland, despite being 36, have a different mentality. They’re eager to prove themselves every time they get a chance,” wrote Johnson.
Australia headed into the WTC 2023-25 final against South Africa as the favourites, being the defending champions. Cummins & Co. were on top after the end of their second innings on Day 3, handing the Proteas a challenging target of 282 runs in their 2nd innings. However, a classy ton from Aiden Markran and a gritty half-century from skipper Temba Bavuma helped South Africa secure a thrilling win in the final to lift their first major ICC title in 27 years.
Mitchell Johnson slammed Josh Hazlewood for his decision to return to IPL 2025, prioritising the league over the national team after Australia lost to South Africa in the WTC final. Hazlewood picked up 2 wickets in the final against South Africa. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
