Australian fast bowler Josh Hazlewood has confirmed he will have recovered from a side strain in time for the T20 games against Sri Lanka in February.
Hazlewood picked up the injury in the first Ashes Test against England and played no further part in the series as it took longer than expected to fix itself.
Frustrating time
It was a frustrating period for Hazlewood who had to watch on as his teammates thrashed England 4-0 but the good news is he is now closing in on a return to action.
Australia play five T20 internationals against Sri Lanka next month and Hazlewood says he will be ready for the first of them in Sydney on 11th February.
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"I'm definitely back for the Sri Lanka T20s," Hazlewood said. "I've got a couple of weeks up my sleeve to get right and should be fine."
Managing the load
Australia have a busy schedule in 2022 and head to Pakistan for a three-format tour in March and then defend their T20 World Cup title on home soil in October.
And Hazlewood admits he will have to manage his body well, which means possibly sitting out some of the action as the Aussies rotate their players.
"I think it's pretty much impossible to play all the games for Australia," he said.
"We're going to have to prioritise - whether it's red-ball over white-ball or vice versa or depending on how your body's travelling.
"As far as time away from home and bubble fatigue, there's going to have to be some time put aside to hopefully get home for a week or two in and around those series."
