Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood to play for NSW in one-day game against Victoria

After a lengthy break from the playing field and no international cricket since the T20 World Cup the Test captain will be back in action on Friday.

Test captain Pat Cummins will start his domestic summer with an appearance for NSW in a one-day game against Victoria on Friday in his first match since playing in the Major League T20 competition in the USA in July.

He’ll be joined at the Junction Oval by fellow Test quick Josh Hazlewood before the duo headline Australia’s bowling attack for an ODI series against Pakistan which will form key parts of their preparation for the five-Test series against India.

After making just three, and then a second innings duck, in this week’s Sheffield Shield clash at the MCG, Test star Steve Smith will also line up for NSW in his quest to find some runs before he too joins the ODI squad.

After making a brilliant red-ball return, netting seven wickets including six in the second innings, fast bowler Mitchell Starc will skip the domestic one-day game.

Well, well, well, who do we have here?! 👀🏏

Full squad announcement 👇https://t.co/NQFnNShYYm? pic.twitter.com/VqejKMWtXf

— NSW Men's Cricket Team (@CricketNSWMen) October 23, 2024

The lengthy break for Cummins, who hasn’t played an international since the T20 World Cup in June and played six T20s in the US in July, was part of a plan mapped out more than 12 months ago to have him primed for the upcoming workload, headlined by the series against India.

“Everyone that comes back after a break and is a little bit fresher, you never regret it,” Cummins said recently.

“I’ve basically been bowling non-stop since the World Test Championship final, nearly 18 months ago.

“This gives me a good seven or eight weeks completely off bowling so the body can recover, then you start building up again for the summer.

“It means you can hopefully bowl for a little bit longer, maintaining pace is a bit easier, make you less susceptible to injuries.”

Cummins is expected to play all five Tests against India before Australia travels to Sri Lanka in February for another two matches.

Originally published as Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood to play for NSW in one-day game against Victoria