Josh Hazlewood

A tall, accurate fast bowler who is unrelenting in his line and length, Josh Hazlewood became a fixture in Australia's Test attack as soon as he made his debut in 2014 and went on to enjoy success across formats, taking just under 500 international wickets in his first dozen years in the game - despite a handful of injury-enforced layoffs.

Highly regarded for long through his rise up the ranks, at 17, he became the youngest fast bowler to be selected by New South Wales, and two years on, he played his first ODI, against England, becoming the third Australian after Craig McDermott and Ray Bright to play the format so early in his career.

Hazlewood, who grew up idolising Glenn McGrath, was handed a rookie state contract for 2008-09 when he had not even played a game for a Sydney grade club. He was initially chosen for Australia's Test tour of India in late 2010 but was withdrawn due to a back stress injury, and it was not until four years later, by when he had added significant strength to his 196cm frame, that he finally played his first Test, in Brisbane against India, and took a five-for in his first innings. He was 23 then, just like McGrath in his first Test, and he got to 100 Test wickets in 46 innings, just one innings slower than McGrath.

In his first four series, Hazlewood took four or more wickets in each Test on average. An early high point was the 2016-17 home season, when he took 32 wickets at around 20 runs apiece in 11 innings against South Africa, including 6 for 89 in Australia's drubbing in Hobart, and Pakistan. Australia's 4-0 Ashes win in 2017-18 fetched Hazlewood 21 wickets, including eight in the Perth match.

After the leadership upheaval following the Newlands ball-tampering scandal, he was named joint vice-captain of the Test team but missed the tour of the UAE due to a back issue. Another back injury following the 2018-19 home series against India saw him replaced as vice-captain and miss out on the World Cup squad, though he was the one who claimed the wicket that marked Australia's retention of the Ashes at Old Trafford a few months later.

Hazlewood's white-ball game went to another level in the second half of the 2020s, aided by his time at Chennai Super Kings in the IPL, and he was second only to Adam Zampa among Australia's bowlers in their 2021 T20 and 2023 ODI World Cup wins. Between those times there had been a frustrating run in Test cricket where injuries limited his appearances, and subcontinent-specific selections saw him miss out on occasion. However, during the 2023-24 home season, when he harvested 25 wickets against West Indies and Pakistan, he averaged 15.31.

In 2025, Hazlewood was crucial in his IPL side, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, winning their first title ever, taking 22 wickets in the tournament.