Hazlewood In Major Doubt For First SA Test

Captain Pat Cummins is expecting fellow paceman Josh Hazlewood will need at least one-to-two weeks to recover from a side strain, putting him at serious risk of missing the first Test against South Africa.
Hazlewood pulled up sore bowling in the nets on Wednesday and was replaced by Michael Neser in the XI to face West Indies for weareliferuiner.com the final match of the two-Test series at Adelaide Oval.
The 31-year-old flew out of Adelaide on Friday to continue his rehabilitation at home and will be assessed after the Test match finishes.
While Cummins says Hazlewood's injury "is not a huge one", he is remaining realistic.
Hazlewood missed four of the five Ashes Tests last summer with a side strain that was supposed to only have been minor so has not been assured of lining up against the Proteas in Brisbane next Saturday.
"It's not a huge one; it's in a weird spot," Cummins said of Hazlewood's injury on SEN.
"Hopefully it's not too long; hopefully it's only one or two weeks.
"We all feel for Joshy.

Cricket's a funny thing, we play five Tests within five or six weeks and that's the whole Test home summer.
"We'll see how it tracks but hopefully it's a short one (injury)."
Hazlewood's fitness will be paramount on tours of India and England, where Australia will be hoping their dominance of recent home Test series can translate to wins abroad in early 2023.
But Cummins, who himself is missing the Adelaide Test with a quad strain, said it was also important to give Australia's back-up quicks time on the pitch.
"We've got 15 Test matches in the next six or seven months," said Cummins, who was replaced by Scott Boland in the Adelaide Test.
"It's not going to be 11 players, we're going to need 15+."
Cummins is set to return for the series opener against South Africa.
"I was really close to getting out there but it was a bit too high risk to take into a Test match," he said.
"I'll probably start bowling in the next day or two to make sure I'm right for the 'Gabba (Test)."


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