Josh Hazlewood’s figures prove he’s the underrated hero of Australia’s lethal bowling unit

These are the numbers which prove Australia’s “stealthy superstar” Josh Hazlewood is leading world cricket’s most lethal bowling unit. DANIEL CHERNY investigates.

It is the agonising call Australian selectors never had to make: to omit Josh Hazlewood to make room for a red-hot Scott Boland.

Twice the need to make decision was dodged. First, when Hazlewood ruled himself out of the 2022 Boxing Day Test against South Africa after failing to fully recover from a side strain, allowing Boland the chance to reprise his debut heroics of 12 months earlier.

Then last June, Hazlewood was pulled from Australia’s squad for the World Test Championship final against India at The Oval, again not quite ready to play off the back of a side issue.

Josh Hazlewood has been in immense form for Australia since the Ashes. Picture: Getty Images

They didn’t miss him, with Boland taking five wickets including the key scalp of Virat Kohli during the run chase to help secure the Aussies their first WTC title.

Australian selection chair George Bailey had labelled the match a “culmination” of the two-year WTC build-up, hinting that those who had helped guide the Aussies to that point would be given priority in tight selection calls.

In part that created breathing space for the struggling David Warner while also giving the panel scope to omit the opener during the ensuing Ashes series, a scenario that never played out.

But that Boland rather than Hazlewood played against India was also fitting, because the harsh truth of the matter is that the latter had been only an auxiliary member of the Test side during the two-year build-up.

Scott Boland (right) has stayed ready for Australia despite not being required. Picture: Getty Images

A combination of untimely injuries and a trilogy of subcontinental tours meant Hazlewood played just four of Australia’s 20 Tests during the last WTC cycle.

Indeed by the time he lined up in Birmingham for the first Ashes Test in mid-June, Hazlewood hadn’t taken an overseas Test wicket since September 2019.

Hazlewood entered the Edgbaston Test already 32, having broken down in consecutive home seasons and with Boland, Michael Neser and Lance Morris all tempting the selectors to various degrees.

Hazlewood had been out of sight, out of mind and easy enough to write off.

But if he was just a fringe player in last year’s crown, no man has contributed more heavily than Hazlewood to leave the Aussies well-positioned for back-to-back crowns.

With a win at Hagley Oval over the next few days, Australia will move back into the top two on the fresh WTC standings.

osh Hazlewood took five wickets as Australia rolled NZ for 162 in the first innings. Picture: Getty Images

Though Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins have both made regular and important contributions throughout the last nine months, Hazlewood has outshone them.

Since the start of the Ashes, Hazlewood has 50 Test wickets at 19.46. In the face of the Bazball onslaught that tamed Boland, Hazlewood gnawed away to finish with 15 wickets at 31.68.

If that was solid enough output, then 2024 has been the year of the Hoff.

On Friday, Hazlewood exploited the grass on the wicket to nick off no fewer than four of the Black Caps and trap milestone man Kane Williamson for 18.

By the time NZ had been routed for 162, Hazlewood had 28 wickets for the year at 11.67.

Australia's Josh Hazlewood appeals for a leg before wicket decision against New Zealand's Kane Williamson. Picture: AFP

Hazlewood is closing in on 500 international wickets and has been part of three white-ball World Cup winning sides. And yet not only has he never won the Allan Border Medal, he’s not even been player of the year in any of the three formats across an international career that started in 2010.

Rest assured though, he’ll bank some early votes this year.

Still it was oddly appropriate for such an under-the-radar star that even as Hazlewood devastated New Zealand either side of lunch on Friday, Starc stole some of the limelight by clawing past Dennis Lillee’s total of 355 Test wickets.

This is the way with Hazlewood. Not on social media and hardly flashy, he is Australia’s stealthy superstar.

Originally published as Josh Hazlewood’s figures prove he’s the underrated hero of Australia’s lethal bowling unit