NSW 'miles' to prime Hazlewood for massive Test summer

Josh Hazlewood hopes a rare Sheffield Shield appearance for NSW next week can help him get the "miles in the legs" with an aim to play in all five home Tests for the second straight summer.

Hazlewood will kick off his home summer on Friday in the Blues' blockbuster One-Day Cup match against Victoria after being named in a NSW squad also featuring Test captain Pat Cummins and teammate Steve Smith.

But it's the Shield match against Queensland beginning the following Friday the star paceman believes will benefit him the most and Australia's efforts to win back the Border-Gavaskar Trophy for the first time in a decade.

And while he hopes he isn't required to send down as many overs at the 37 Mitchell Starc did in claiming 1-35 and 6-81 against Victoria earlier this week, Hazlewood hopes to be able to find the same rhythm the left-armer did during his only red-ball hit-out ahead of the first Test against India beginning November 22.

"With the recent series in England, my one-day cricket is up to speed, but more important (is) the Shield game next week," Hazlewood told reporters in Melbourne on Thursday.

"To get out there and just have those longer spells, with a couple of spells in a day, back-to-back bowling, all those things you have to tick off (to prepare for Test matches).

"And we haven't had that opportunity in the last few years to do that, we just haven't had the time with the schedule.

"I think anything around 30 (overs) is a really good workout and ticks all the boxes … to get those miles in the legs to get ready for Test cricket."

Barring a last-minute change of plans, next Friday's match against Queensland will be Hazlewood's first in the Sheffield Shield since the 2020-21 final against the same opponent.

It means Hazlewood won't play in the first ODI against Pakistan at the MCG on November 4 (the final day of the Shield match), where Cummins will return to lead the reigning world champions after sitting out September's 3-2 series win over England.

Last summer, pace trio Cummins, Hazlewood and Starc played seven consecutive Tests against Pakistan, West Indies and New Zealand, with George Bailey describing that as an "outlier" and Hazlewood himself as a "one-off". However, the right-armer hopes his brief stint for NSW can prepare him to repeat the feat against India this summer.

"No one rests a Test match," he said. "If you're fit, you play, if you're not, you don't play, it's a simple as that.

"It's not like a T20 or a one-dayer where you know (how many overs) you're going to bowl – you could bowl 50 overs, or you could bowl 25.

"There's really no point in planning for it – the day before you make a call and you're either sweet or you're not.

"We've got enough in the (fast bowling) stable to roll through a couple of guys who we know can do a really good job and put pressure on us from time to time."

Test-capped quicks Scott Boland and Michael Neser have both started the domestic season strongly, as has Sean Abbott who NSW men's coach Greg Shipperd believes should also be in the frame for a Test debut this summer if Cummins, Starc or Hazlewood happen to miss a Test.

Abbott bowled superbly in his first match for his state in almost 20 months, claiming five wickets in Victoria's first innings followed by another two in the second.

"I'm sure those three are the super contenders for the depth bowlers around the big three," Shipperd said.

"We haven't seen Sean in blue for the past 14 games, so it was great to have him back in the side and his spell in the first innings was terrific. He's ready to roll, and like Neser, provides something with the bat as well."

Neser will miss the Bulls' One-Day Cup clash with South Australia on Friday after picking up a minor hamstring injury, while Lance Morris, who has been part of the Test squad over the past two home summers, has been named in WA's squad to take on Tasmania after overcoming a quad strain.

One-Day Cup standings 2024-25

Team	Matches played M	Wins W	Losses L	Ties T	No results N/R	Net Run Rate NRR	Deductions Ded.	Batting Bonus Bat	Total points PTS
1 NSW Men NSW	3	2	0	0	1	1.558	0	1	11
2 Victoria Men VIC	3	2	1	0	0	-0.171	0	1	9
3 Tasmanian Tigers Men TAS	3	1	1	0	1	0.738	0	1	7
4 Queensland Bulls QLD	4	1	2	0	1	0.619	0	1	7
5 South Australia Men SA	3	1	1	0	1	-0.851	0	0	6
6 Western Australia Men WA	4	1	3	0	0	-1.093	0	0	4

Legend

M: Matches played

W: Wins

L: Losses

T: Ties

N/R: No results

NRR: Net Run Rate

Ded.: Deductions

Bat: Batting Bonus

PTS: Total points