BRISBANE, Australia (AP) — Australian fast bowler Josh Hazlewood has been ruled out of the Ashes series with hamstring and Achilles injuries.
Hazlewood missed Australia's two eight-wicket wins over England in Perth and Brisbane, but was expected to return later in the five-match series.
Australia coach Andrew McDonald on Tuesday said the veteran pacemaker now plans to return to the Twenty20 World Cup early next year.
“He's out of the series and his preparation will shift towards the World Cup, which is incredibly important for us,” MacDonald said. “It's really frustrating for him. There were a couple of setbacks we didn't see coming – we thought he was going to be a huge part of the show.”
Hazlewood has been a key part of Australia's regular bowling attack for a decade.
There was also good news for captain Pat Cummins, who is expected to return for the third Test in Adelaide starting December 17 after missing the first two Tests while he recovers from a back problem.
The 32-year-old paceman increased his training load at Brisbane's Allan Border Field as the Australians played their second Test against England at the Gabba.
He will be recalled as captain when the squad is announced on Wednesday. Steve Smith captained the Australia XI in Cummins' absence.
“We feel like he’ll be prepared as best he can,” MacDonald said. “We've seen him progress further and we feel he'll be really well prepared for the challenges of Adelaide.
“We feel like the simulation in the nets has prepared him for the skills. His body is ready to go. Barring anything else next week, I expect Pat to flip the coin and put on the jacket.”
An under-fire England team that needs a win in Adelaide to have any chance of winning back the Ashes will take a few days this week to relax and unwind in one of Australia's iconic beach towns.
The fourth Test will begin on Boxing Day at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, while the fifth Test will be played in Sydney on January 4. England have not won an Ashes Test in Australia since the 2010–11 series.
Mitchell Starc, the only regular member of the Australian attack to feature in the first two Tests, is currently the leading bowler in the series with 18 wickets and has won back-to-back man of the match awards.
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