Ashes cricket news: Ollie Robinson declared fit for England, Josh Hazlewood dodges IPL scare

England’s injury-hit pace battery has received a boost with Ollie Robinson in the frame to face Australia in the Ashes. Get the latest on his condition here.

England paceman Ollie Robinson has been declared fit to join up with the Test squad after receiving the all-clear following an ankle scan.

The bowler suffered a sore ankle while playing for county team Sussex last week, raising fears he would join the list of injured seamers.

England play a one-off Test against Ireland starting on June 1, with a five-match Ashes series against Australia to follow.

The England and Wales Cricket Board said Robinson was fit enough to join up with Ben Stokes’s squad for the Ireland game at Lord’s.

Ollie Robinson celebrates a wicket in the County Championship.

Ollie Robinson pins Marnus Labuschagne LBW!

It looks like he might've enjoyed this wicket...#LVCountyChamppic.twitter.com/flwhWN8H6d

— LV= Insurance County Championship (@CountyChamp) May 18, 2023

“Scan results have revealed no damage to the ankle and that Robinson will join up with the England men’s Test squad this weekend,” the ECB said in a statement.

Express quick Jofra Archer has been ruled out of the entire English season with a stress fracture to his right elbow while Olly Stone is sidelined with a hamstring problem.

England great James Anderson, the most successful fast bowler in Test history with 685 wickets, is in the squad despite suffering a minor groin strain.

England captain Stokes has said he wants at least eight fit fast bowlers he can rotate during a congested Ashes schedule of five Tests in under seven weeks.

— AFP

Ollie Robinson has given England a fitness boost.

HAZLEWOOD DODGES SERIOUS IPL INJURY SCARE

Daniel Cherny

Josh Hazlewood remains on track to be available for the World Test Championship final with the Australian paceman appearing to have avoided serious injury despite leaving the Indian Premier League prematurely.

Hazlewood missed Royal Challengers Bangalore’s final regular season game against the Gujarat Titans, with reports out of India suggesting that he may have suffered a recurrence of the Achilles injury that had limited his availability in recent months.

However, Hazlewood’s issue was a very minor case of side soreness, which is not expected to prevent him from training ahead of or playing in the WTC final against India at The Oval between June 7 and 12.

“Josh Hazlewood returned home from the IPL last weekend after experiencing minor side soreness after the completion of his most recent IPL match,” a Cricket Australia spokesperson said.

“After a brief and precautionary rest period, Hazlewood returned to high intensity bowling last week and will continue to increase his bowling workloads in preparation for the WTC and Ashes series.

“Hazelwood is considered fit and available for the WTC and Ashes series.”

Josh Hazlewood has been plagued by injuries for the past two years. Picture: Jason McCawley/Cricket Australia via Getty Images

Hazlewood, along with fellow IPL participants David Warner and Mitchell Marsh, were due to return to Australia following the conclusion of the regular season and travel with the bulk of the Australian Test squad to England later this week.

Cameron Green, whose maiden IPL ton on Sunday night helped hoist the Mumbai Indians into the finals is set to join the rest of the touring party when his franchise commitments wrap up.

One of the world’s best quicks when up and running, Hazlewood has played just four Tests since January 2021 as a result of injury and selection.

He is one of just four frontline quicks in Australia’s squad for the WTC final and first two Ashes Tests, alongside Scott Boland, Mitchell Starc and captain Pat Cummins.

Fellow seamers Michael Neser and Sean Abbott are on standby however, with both men set to train with the Test squad ahead of the WTC final.

Neser has fired during his early-season stint with English county Glamorgan, posting a ton against Sussex on Sunday to go with strong bowling form.

Marnus Labuschagne and Marcus Harris both made centuries over the weekend too in what will be their final competitive matches before the Tests begin. It was an impressive weekend overall for the top Aussies, with Warner and Smith also posting half-centuries in the IPL and county cricket respectively.

Australia has opted against playing a tour match in England given the narrow window between the end of the IPL and the clash with India, which is followed by five Ashes Tests.

Originally published as Ashes cricket news: Ollie Robinson declared fit for England, Josh Hazlewood dodges IPL scare