Hazlewood sustained the injury on November 13 during the third day of the Sheffield Shield clash between New South Wales and Victoria at the SCG. He reported tightness in his right hamstring after completing his overs and, alongside fellow pacer Sean Abbott, left the field for precautionary scans. Abbott, already confirmed injured, will also miss the Test opener. Hazlewood has played 76 Tests, taking 295 wickets, and was in excellent form in recent white-ball series against India.
To replace Hazlewood, Queensland pacer Michael Neser has been drafted into the squad. With regular captain Pat Cummins also unavailable for the Perth Test and other pacers—Lance Morris, Jhye Richardson, and Spencer Johnson—out due to injuries, Australia’s bowling attack faces significant pressure. Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland are expected to carry the bulk of the workload.
31-year-old Brendan Doggett is likely to make his Test debut, having taken 13 wickets in the current Sheffield Shield season. If selected, Doggett will become Australia’s third Indigenous male Test player, joining Scott Boland, marking the first instance where two Indigenous players will feature in a single Australian Test XI.
England have received a boost with the fitness clearance of pacer Mark Wood ahead of the series. Meanwhile, Cummins is making progress in the nets but achieving full red-ball fitness within four weeks remains uncertain.
Cricket Australia continues to monitor player fitness closely as the squad finalizes its preparations for the high-stakes Ashes opener in Perth, a venue where Australia has historically dominated.
