‘He was pretty chipper’: Hazlewood, Abbott sweat Ashes injury scans

3 months ago 21

Test star Josh Hazlewood is said to be “pretty confident” of avoiding a serious hamstring injury after both he and reserve paceman Sean Abbott were sent for scans on a dramatic morning at the SCG on Wednesday, nine days out from the Ashes series opener.

Hazlewood and Abbott left the field during Victoria’s second innings and were sent for assessment on respective hamstring issues, having starred in NSW’s day-three revival with the ball.

Josh Hazlewood celebrates taking a wicket for NSW on Wednesday.

Cricket NSW officials are yet to confirm the extent of either injury, only that the quicks were assessed by a physio. Skipper Pat Cummins - already sidelined for at least the first Ashes Test in Perth due to a back injury - had received an update from Hazlewood when he spoke to reporters at a sponsorship event with NRMA.

Sources speaking on the condition of anonymity given they are not authorised to speak publicly have indicated to this masthead that Abbott’s injury is considered the worst of the two. The 33-year-old will be sent for further scans but is at this stage considered an unlikely traveller with the first Test squad, which is due to assemble in Perth on Sunday.

Cummins arrived at the SCG to meet with NSW medical staff on Wednesday, only to be told they were busy attending to his Test teammates.

“They’ve both got scans. I haven’t 100 per cent got across all the details but I think Josh was pretty chipper when he got out [of the physio], so hopefully he should be fine,” Cummins said.

The injured skipper said he believed Abbott was still being assessed and both he and Hazlewood had felt twinges before lunch on day three. Neither player appeared to show discomfort while bowling on Wednesday.

“Obviously a week away from [the start of] a Test series you always err on the side of caution,” Cummins said.

“So I think they wanted to find out what was happening before pushing it and potentially making it worse.”

With Cummins sidelined, Australia can ill afford to lose another paceman before next Friday’s opener against England.

Hazlewood missed three Tests last summer due to ongoing side strain issues, while the uncapped Abbott has slowly moved up the fast bowling pecking order.

Sean Abbott celebrates a wicket on Wednesday morning.

Abbott took three wickets in six balls early in the day to trigger a Victoria collapse before the visitors declared at 9-171.

Hazlewood also impressed in his first spell with short-pitched offerings before bouncing out Sam Harper, who was caught by Abbott at deep square leg.

South Australia speedster Brendan Doggett would come into contention for a surprise Test debut should Hazlewood’s injury prove serious.

Doggett – who took five wickets against Tasmania on Monday – is in line to become just Australia’s third Indigenous Test cricketer.

Cummins himself is still targeting an aggressive return in time for the second Test on December 4 after upping his training loads again in the SCG nets on Tuesday.

“We pushed it up a little bit yesterday, I bowled close to 90 per cent, so as good as you could hope,” he said.

“And [I] pulled up really well today, which is probably even more important than how I’m actually feeling bowling. So all on track.

“Hopefully by Perth I’m up there near 100 per cent, and then kind of see where we’re at. It’s still pretty aggressive, going from nothing to trying to get ready for a Test match in four weeks. But we’re going to give it a good shot.”

Any concern about Hazlewood’s fitness could also have implications for Cameron Green’s Test bowling loads given his own gradual return from back surgery.

Green impressed with the ball for Western Australia on Tuesday, taking a wicket in a tidy day’s bowling, having only sent down four overs this summer before taking on Queensland this week.

Green’s return to the bowling crease had been expected to tip Tasmanian all-rounder Beau Webster out of the Australian XI, despite Webster’s impressive efforts in Hobart.

The 31-year-old knocked over South Australia Test stars Travis Head (15) and Alex Carey (23) on Wednesday as South Australia pinched a tense three-wicket win.

Both Webster and potential Test opener Jake Weatherald missed out with the bat, but Webster finished with an impressive match haul of eight wickets after claiming 5-50 in the first innings.