Australian fast bowler Josh Hazlewood is confident that he is currently in the best form of his career. He expressed strong belief in securing a place in the playing XI for the upcoming ICC World Test Championship (WTC) Final against South Africa, which will be played at Lord’s from June 11.
Late Arrival in England
Hazlewood arrived in England later than the rest of the squad, alongside teammate Josh Inglis, after finishing the IPL 2025 season. He was part of the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) team that clinched the title by defeating Punjab Kings in the final. Hazlewood had an impressive IPL season, taking 22 wickets and playing a crucial role in RCB’s championship win.
Now fully focused on red-ball cricket, Hazlewood has started his preparation by bowling five overs in Australia’s optional training session.
May Replace Boland in Playing XI
If Hazlewood continues to show good rhythm, he could be preferred over Scott Boland in the final playing XI. Since making his Test comeback during the 2023 Ashes series, Hazlewood has been in excellent form — claiming 57 wickets in 13 matches at an average of 19.68.
Reflecting on his form, Hazlewood said, “In 2023, I came quite close. I faced some challenges during the IPL and had a few minor injuries afterwards, so I wasn’t fully fit. But this time, I feel in a much better position.”
He added, “Across formats, my stats over the past two years have been solid, and I’ve seen technical improvement as well. I believe I’m bowling the best I ever have in my career — it all depends on how well the body holds up, which it has done over the last few months. We are adjusting our training so we can have back-to-back practice days, long sessions, and structured routines to keep ourselves in the best condition possible.”
Confident Despite Short Gap After IPL
Hazlewood is confident that finishing the IPL slightly later won’t hamper his WTC Final preparations. He emphasized that he is getting sufficient red-ball practice. “I bowled a few good overs ahead of the IPL final in Ahmedabad. The conditions here are different, of course. That was a tough session, and when you play an IPL match, with warm-ups, you usually end up bowling seven or eight overs anyway.”
Hazlewood remains optimistic about transitioning smoothly to Test cricket and making a strong impact in the WTC Final.