Want to cement my place in T20 side ahead of World Cup, states Josh Hazlewood
Australian fast bowler Josh Hazlewood has stated that he wants to cement his place in the squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup — which will be at home later this year. The Test specialist reckons that it is important to play consistent white-ball cricket in order to be ready for the challenge.
Despite being one of Australia’s premier fast bowlers over the years, Hazlewood has not gotten a consistent run of games in white-ball cricket for a while now. In fact, even in the just-concluded ODI series against India, the 29-year-old had to wait until the last game to sneak ahead of Kane Richardson. When it comes to T20Is, the senior pacer hasn’t featured for his country since the 2016 World Cup!
"You don't often get that period of white-ball cricket in a row. I want to try and get back in the team and cement myself in there. It's been a while since those periods. But it absolutely helps (playing chunks of white-ball cricket). You get in the rhythm of playing that format. Whether it's a one-day or T20, it's a lot different to Test cricket. It's certainly a goal (to play in the World Cup)," Hazlewood told the Australian Associated Press.
Given that the ultimate T20 showdown will be held on home soil this year, the Aussies are keen on putting up a good performance. This is why all three of their frontline fast bowlers – Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc – were taken on last week's short tour of India, despite the amount of workload they’ve already been under in Tests.
"A couple of years ago, I was really entrenched in the team. I guess through resting after a Test series and not playing one-day series, you give other people opportunities. Then it's hard to force your way back in sometimes. There are still some tight turnarounds and, when you bust yourself playing Tests, it's sometimes very easy to say, 'I'll miss this series and get ready for the next one'. But the next one is after another Test series and then it's just a flow-on effect that keeps happening," Hazlewood added.
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