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Josh Hazlewood Ruled Out Of West Indies T20I Series; Fraser-McGurk, Bartlett Called In

Soumyajit Dutta

Josh Hazlewood ruled out [Source: @cricketcomau/X.com]Josh Hazlewood ruled out [Source: @cricketcomau/X.com]

In a recent development, Australia's star pacer Josh Hazlewood has been ruled out of the West Indies series. Australia will tour the Caribbean without Hazlewood, who has been released from the T20I squad to rest after a taxing Test campaign. The decision, aimed at managing the seamer’s workload, comes ahead of Australia’s white-ball series against South Africa next month.

Josh Hazlewood’s departure follows a packed Test schedule, and the selectors have opted for a rotation policy to ensure the 33-year-old remains fresh for future assignments. His exit opens the door for promising talents to stake a claim in the national setup.

Young Faces Called In As White-Ball Replacements

In his place, Australia have drafted in Jake Fraser-McGurk and Xavier Bartlett, both of whom impressed in recent domestic and franchise leagues. Fraser-McGurk, known for his explosive batting, had a breakout IPL 2024 season and made his T20I debut last September. Although he has played only seven T20Is so far with a top score of 50, his rapid starts have caught his attention.

Meanwhile, Bartlett’s inclusion strengthens Australia’s pace stocks in the absence of both Hazlewood and Spencer Johnson, who remains sidelined with a back injury. The young right-arm quick has made a strong impression early in his international career, collecting 22 wickets in just nine matches across formats. His standout moment came at the MCG, where he claimed four wickets on debut.

Both Fraser-McGurk and Xavier Bartlett also recently featured for the San Francisco Unicorns in Major League Cricket and now eye a return to international action for the first time since last November. The West Indies series presents a valuable opportunity for the duo to cement their places in Australia’s white-ball plans.

Australia's Updated T20 squad against West Indies

Mitchell Marsh (c), Sean Abbott, Cooper Connolly, Tim David, Ben Dwarshius, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Aaron Hardie, Xavier Bartlett, Jake Fraser-McGurk Josh Inglis, Spencer Johnson, Matt Kuhnemann, Glenn Maxwell, Mitch Owen, Matthew Short, Adam Zampa