Mitchell Johnson’s Harsh Verdict On Josh Hazlewood After WTC Final Loss, Says ‘To Prioritise Returning To Delayed IPL Over National Team…’ News24 –

Josh Hazlewood’s return for the remaining part of the 2025 IPL season, ahead of the World Test Championship (WTC) Final, has attracted severe criticism from former Australian pacer Mitchell Johnson. Australia was defeated by five wickets against South Africa at Lord’s, losing their WTC title in only four days — and Hazlewood’s lackluster performance came into the limelight.

Hazlewood was not originally set to return to Royal Challengers Bengaluru because of a concern about injury and the coming WTC Final. The IPL was put on hold because of tensions between India and Pakistan, and Hazlewood appeared likely to prioritize national obligation. But he returned to India late and featured in the last few games of the IPL. During the WTC Final, Hazlewood took only two wickets, which questioned his preparation and readiness for the match.

Writing in his The West Australian column, Johnson questioned the timing of Hazlewood’s comeback and labeled it a bad choice. Although explaining that he was not attempting to be “too critical,” Johnson intimated that such decisions could affect team performance at key stages. He also made the selectors to now look at more dedicated players, citing Sam Konstas, Josh Inglis, and Scott Boland as examples who should be given opportunities.

Johnson’s remarks indicate increasingly anxious debate regarding the balance between franchise cricket and national interests, particularly in the lead-up to high-profile Test matches.

“We’ve seen concerns about Hazlewood’s fitness in recent years, and his decision to prioritise returning to the delayed Indian Premier League over his national team preparations raised eyebrows,” he wrote.

“Our successful ‘big four’ bowling attack of Mitchell Starc, Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon can’t be taken for granted as a lock going forward either. If veteran players are sticking around just for the Ashes as a send-off, it does beg the question of whether that’s the right mindset. It’s crucial that we embrace the future and build confidence in selecting our next Test players,” added Johnson.

“Players on the fringe such as Sam Konstas, Josh Inglis and Scott Boland, despite being 36, have a different mentality. They’re eager to prove themselves every time they get a chance. I’m not being overly critical of an ageing team which has achieved plenty together. Our established players including the senior bowling quartet, Usman Khawaja, (Steve) Smith and (Marnus) Labuschagne have achieved some great things,” Johnson said.

“It’s essential to consider when the right time is to make some tough calls. The upcoming three-Test Windies tour seems like an excellent opportunity to give deserving players a chance to shine, and the finger injury to Smith might have the silver lining of prompting some regeneration. Finding a specialist No.3 is crucial, and with the form Labuschagne has shown over the past 18 months, it’s hard to justify moving him back into that position. Trying to make changes in all top-three batting slots at once would indeed be risky, and I don’t think the selectors will go that route,” he added.