Cummins, Hazlewood IPL fitness comes down to timing

Australia supporters are likely to be left frustrated if injured duo Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins are fit for the IPL, after missing a disastrous T20 World Cup campaign, but selectors are pragmatic about the situation saying it has purely come down to timing.

There will be a full review into Australia's group stage exit once the team returns home. Hazlewood and Cummins were huge losses to Australia on the eve of the tournament. Hazlewood, who had provided a cutting edge to the attack as the team was taking shape last year, is still struggling to overcome Achilles and calf issues after initially suffering a hamstring injury on November 12.

Cummins, meanwhile, has not played since his lone appearance in the third Ashes Test in mid-December when he bowled superbly to take six wickets in 34 overs across two innings to help Australia secure the series 3-0. He was then shut down to protect the lumbar stress issue in his back with the T20 World Cup in mind but was withdrawn from the initial squad.

Despite playing one game between them in three months and missing the World Cup, it appears very likely that both will be fit for the IPL barring any further setbacks.

"It is what it is," selector Tony Dodemaide told reporters on a call on Wednesday. "It's a timing issue. If it was in reverse, the IPL was first and the World Cup was second, then they'd be missing the IPL to play in the World Cup.

"It's not going to be frustrating for us at all. We know their commitment to want to play and succeed for Australia."

Australia took just four wickets, all by the allrounders Marcus Stoinis and Cameron Green, across their two losses against Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka that saw them knocked out of the World Cup in embarrassing fashion.

Meanwhile, the selectors have reiterated that Steven Smith is seen as a back-up opener only in Australia's T20I team. He was not selected in the initial squad and not picked for the Sri Lanka game having been flown at late notice, initially as cover for Mitchell Marsh before being officially included as Hazlewood's replacement.

Questions were raised as to why Smith was not immediately called up when Marsh suffered his testicular injury several days out from the opening game against Ireland. But it's understood he was set to play until late medical advice ruled him out of the morning of the Ireland game then he subsequently also missed the Zimbabwe fixture.

Selectors called Smith on the day of Ireland game to come to Sri Lanka and he did not arrive until after the Zimbabwe fixture. Marsh was fit to face Sri Lanka, with him and Head both making half-centuries in a 104-run stand in 8.3 overs.

"As we've said before, we see him [Smith] primarily at the top, and that's where he's coming into the squad for cover of that area," Dodemaide said. "He was only really available for game three, which was the game that we had our best performed pairing, which is Bison [Mitch Marsh] and Heady [Travis Head], did extremely well."

However, there was already debate about Smith's absence from the squad before the tournament. He was not taken to Pakistan for the three-match tour before the World Cup after a barnstorming six-game stint in the BBL given Marsh, Travis Head, and long-time back-up opener Matt Short were all available.

Short was axed from the squad and replaced by Matt Renshaw who was picked as cover for the injured Tim David for the early part of the tournament.

There has been criticism as to why Smith was not considered for another role in the order given the form of Australia's batting group. But he has not batted anywhere other than opener in his last 36 T20s dating back to the start of 2023. In positions 3-7 across his T20 career he averages 30.19 but strikes at 124.70, compared to opening where he averages 47.17 and strikes at 155.27.

It is also understood that Renshaw was left out the Sri Lanka game when Marsh returned because selectors wanted to keep their all-round options in the line-up, despite Renshaw being their best performed batter in the loss to Zimbabwe. Cooper Connolly was also preferred over Matt Kuhnemann given their respective T20I bowling records are very similar despite Connolly's woeful recent batting form.

Dodemaide also defended the selection of Cameron Green who has come under fire after a lean Ashes and scores of 21, 0 and 3 in the World Cup.

"He's been very, very good for us in 2025, and in the series in Pakistan," Dodemaide said. "He was the best batter in the Pakistan series which I know was sort of a bit off Broadway as far as attention was back home. He's still developing his game across all formats, and obviously physically as well. He's a very, very fine player who is important for us in all formats."

Australia's hierarchy are currently working through whether some of the players, including Green, can play in the Sheffield Shield after the team flies home following the final game against Oman. Even those playing in the IPL will likely be available for round nine that starts on March 5. Australia are also waiting on confirmation of how the losses might affect their 2028 Olympic qualification.

There is a possibility that a discussion could be had with the CA about the rules in the BBL after Australia's powerplay bowling and post-powerplay batting was exposed in the tournament. The BBL has only a four-over powerplay and a two-over power surge in the second 10 overs of the innings that chair of selectors George Bailey has previously suggested changes the way the game is played domestically in Australia compared to T20I cricket and other leagues around the world.