Josh Hazlewood feels the previously fragile bodies of Australia’s injury-prone armada of fast bowlers have finally come of age.
Hazlewood, 24, Pat Cummins, 21 and Mitchell Starc, 25, have all made the World Cup squad after having their share of injury issues, with the first two in particular missing plenty of cricket in recent seasons.
A fourth quick James Pattinson, 24, was on Tuesday named to play for Victoria for the first time in two years.
“We’re all about the same age, with Patty (Cummins) being a bit younger,” Hazlewood said at the SCG on Tuesday.
“We’ve all gone though those stages and hopefully we’re all out the other side now hopefully, and we’ve got past that bone maturing stage and we’re all better off.”
Hazlewood felt he was in the best form of his career and attributed what he called a breakthrough season to playing regularly after a string of injury-plagued summers.
“I think it’s just the coming of age, that 23, 24 age bracket,” Hazlewood said.
“You just feel a lot safer in your body and I guess your bones have hardened up.
“A lot of my injuries were bone related and now that I’m past that, hopefully I have a better run.”
That improved fitness and a strong run of form have enabled Hazlewood to vault over other contenders for a World Cup spot.
Less than three months ago, Hazlewood had played only two ODIs, with more than three years separating his first and second games.
“Obviously (my World Cup selection) is a bit of a surprise,” Hazlewood said.
“But I’ve been working hard for the last few years and it was always a dream.
“To be part of it now and hopefully grab that new ball for Australia in a World Cup is pretty exciting.”
With left-arm flame throwers Starc and Mitchell Johnson seemingly certain of starting spots, Hazlewood appears likely to share the new ball with one of them, if his selection ahead of Pat Cummins for the Tri-Series final is an indicator for the World Cup.
“I’m quite confident now that I can do a job up front for Australia with the new ball,” Hazlewood said.
He reckons England are still working out how to break the one-day stranglehold Australia have over them heading into both teams’ opening match of the World Cup.
Sunday’s Tri-Series final win in Perth was Australia’s fourth in a row over their oldest rival and eighth in their past nine contests against England in 16 months.
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“I don’t think they quite know how to beat us yet, especially in Australia,” Hazlewood said.
