Australian pacer Josh Hazlewood has finally opened up and reacted to Mitchell Johnson’s comments, accusing the pacer of prioritising the Indian Premier League 2025 season for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) over Test cricket.
Notably, Johnson’s comments came after Australia suffered a five-wicket loss to South Africa in the World Test Championship 2025 Final at Lord’s in London. Interestingly, Hazlewood took part in the IPL 2025 playoffs, playing for RCB and playing an important role in propelling his side to a title win.
“We’ve seen concerns about Hazlewood’s fitness in recent years, and his decision to prioritise returning to the delayed Indian Premier League over his national team preparations raised eyebrows,” Johnson had written in The West Australian.
Ahead of the West Indies Test tour, Hazlewood responded, stating why the IPL was the best possible preparation he could’ve asked for in the lead up to the WTC 2025 Final clash against South Africa.
“I haven’t seen any of that, to be honest,” Hazlewood told the Sydney Morning Herald when asked about Johnson’s column.
“We know what’s going on inside our rooms. It seemed far and away the best place to get ready for any type of cricket that was coming up. The weather was definitely a factor as well. Just getting over there and playing intense competition like that, it’s hard to replicate in training," he added.
“Sydney, it was raining and I had literally nowhere to bowl. I got to Brisbane for three or four days and it was very wet. We were lucky to get on. I just thought the best place to bowl was India. We were still in the competition, we were going to play semis, and I was going to be there for 10 days. I think it was comfortably the best option,” he concluded.
Notably, Hazlewood ended the IPL 2025 season as the leading wicket-taker for RCB with 22 wickets from 12 innings at an average of 17.54. Interestingly in the WTC 2025 Final, he could grab only two wickets.
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Josh Hazlewood reacts to Mitchell Johnson’s ‘IPL over Australia’ comment
Josh Hazlewood has responded to Mitchell Johnson's criticism regarding his IPL participation before the World Test Championship final, defending his decision as the best preparation.
Australian pacer Josh Hazlewood has finally opened up and reacted to Mitchell Johnson’s comments, accusing the pacer of prioritising the Indian Premier League 2025 season for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) over Test cricket.
Notably, Johnson’s comments came after Australia suffered a five-wicket loss to South Africa in the World Test Championship 2025 Final at Lord’s in London. Interestingly, Hazlewood took part in the IPL 2025 playoffs, playing for RCB and playing an important role in propelling his side to a title win.
“We’ve seen concerns about Hazlewood’s fitness in recent years, and his decision to prioritise returning to the delayed Indian Premier League over his national team preparations raised eyebrows,” Johnson had written in The West Australian.
Ahead of the West Indies Test tour, Hazlewood responded, stating why the IPL was the best possible preparation he could’ve asked for in the lead up to the WTC 2025 Final clash against South Africa.
“I haven’t seen any of that, to be honest,” Hazlewood told the Sydney Morning Herald when asked about Johnson’s column.
“We know what’s going on inside our rooms. It seemed far and away the best place to get ready for any type of cricket that was coming up. The weather was definitely a factor as well. Just getting over there and playing intense competition like that, it’s hard to replicate in training," he added.
“Sydney, it was raining and I had literally nowhere to bowl. I got to Brisbane for three or four days and it was very wet. We were lucky to get on. I just thought the best place to bowl was India. We were still in the competition, we were going to play semis, and I was going to be there for 10 days. I think it was comfortably the best option,” he concluded.
Notably, Hazlewood ended the IPL 2025 season as the leading wicket-taker for RCB with 22 wickets from 12 innings at an average of 17.54. Interestingly in the WTC 2025 Final, he could grab only two wickets.
Stay updated with the latest cricket news, match insights, and exclusive updates at Sky247 India and download the Sky247 app to start betting today!