Hazlewood opens up on 'frustrating' injury run

Test quick Josh Hazlewood says the "unusual" injury that derailed his Ashes campaign was made worse by a false sense of confidence that he could recover quickly and still play a major role in the series.

Hazlewood will return to action next week for Australia's Dettol T20 series against Sri Lanka, his first game since the opening Ashes Test in Brisbane almost two months ago.

The 31-year-old has revealed he carried some discomfort in his side into that Gabba Test, but he and medical staff were confident he could manage the problem throughout the series.

Even when the injury became painful enough after Brisbane that he was ruled out of the next Test in Adelaide, Hazlewood was quickly back in the gym and confident he could reclaim his place later in the series.

But as Australia marched towards another unbeaten Ashes campaign, it became apparent that his body wasn't healing at the rate he had expected.

"That carrot was dangling there throughout the whole summer," Hazlewood told cricket.com.au.

"If I'd had a normal (side strain), a big injury and you know you're going to be out, then you can deal with it all at once. But it just kept teasing, kept teasing, I might be able to play this one, I might be able to play that one.

"I've certainly had a typical side strain, where you tear your oblique (muscle), you can't bowl another ball and are out for at least six or seven weeks.

"This one was different … the strength came back really quickly, and I could do a lot of things in the gym. It was just bowling, that dynamic movement, that caused a bit of grief. It was an unusual one."

Having helped guide Australia to a maiden T20 World Cup campaign in November, Hazlewood suspects the injury started to develop shortly after his arrival back into Australia, but he has been unable to pinpoint exactly when, adding to his frustration.

"I'd go back to even halfway through quarantine when I was bowling at training," he says.

"We thought it was a bit of just rib impingement because when you tear a muscle, it just goes in one ball. We thought it was something else … but it kept lingering around.

"I got through quite a lot of work in that period and leading into the game (at the Gabba) it was still there a little bit, but I thought I was managing it.

"You try and put your finger on something when you do an injury, whether it's taking shortcuts here or there or an increased workload or you missed your mark at training. But I'm not sure with this one, to be honest. There's obviously an increased workload, but apart from that, it was just an unlucky one, I think."

Despite playing all five Tests of Australia's 4-0 Ashes win four years ago, and famously taking the wicket that ensured they retained the urn on their 2019 tour of the UK, he expects the disappointment of missing a pinnacle series will stick with him long after he's retired from playing.

"It was very frustrating," he says.

"You probably don't realise it as much now, but when you look back in 10 years … people will talk about the Ashes when they won 4-0 in 2021 … and it'd hit you again.

"It was frustrating watching and obviously as time goes on, you'd be reminded of it more often than not. But that's part of fast bowling, I guess."

While a return to Australia's world champion T20 team looms next week, Hazlewood has one eye on the upcoming Test series in Pakistan at the start of Australia's first visit to the country in 24 years.

Despite the strong Ashes showings of Scott Boland and Jhye Richardson during Hazlewood's absence, the 56-Test veteran is confident he can regain his spot for the three-match Test series, which begins in Karachi on March 3.

But while he's confident strong security measures will be taken to ensure the tour can go ahead safely, he said the decision to travel will be left up to individuals and flagged that some may opt out.

"There's a lot of things in place and there's been a lot of work in the background by CA and the ACA," he said.

"So the trust is quite high there from the players, but there'd certainly be some concerns from the players and I wouldn't be surprised if some of them don't make the tour.

"And that's very fair. People will discuss it with their families … and come up with an answer and everyone respects that."

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