Hazlewood not done with Test cricket

Australia quick Josh Hazlewood intends to continue playing international cricket in all formats despite missing the entire Ashes series because of injury.

At 34, Hazlewood was one of a half dozen Australia players who were considered to be approaching the twilight, and maybe the end, of their test careers during the Ashes series.

Hazlewood’s involvement ended up being stymied by a hamstring injury on the eve of the series, compounded by an Achilles problem as he returned to bowling with the squad.

Despite missing out on the series, Hazlewood said he was determined to continue to represent his country with both red ball and white.

“Yeah absolutely,” he told Sydney’s Daily Telegraph. “My body still feels as strong as ever. It’s just little things here and there that creep in. I’m still determined to play three formats as best I can.

“You’re still going to miss the odd game here and there, no one can do it all, unless you’re a batter, but I still enjoy all the different demands of the three formats.

“It keeps it fresh getting ready and preparing for each different format.”

Having been ruled out of the last three Ashes tests, Hazlewood will now turn his focus to getting fully match fit for Australia’s Twenty20 World Cup campaign in India and Sri Lanka early next year.

“Once you’re injured mid-series or just before a series starts, you’re chasing your tail a lot of the time anyway,” he added.

“I probably could have got back for one or two tests with the hamstring, but then you leave yourself quite vulnerable going into a test match on the back of not much.

“Every day you’re not bowling is another day you’ve got to bowl to get back to where you were.

“Obviously things are easier when you’re up and going and you’ve got some good work under you.”