Veterans not done yet: Hazlewood and Lyon reject Johnson's Ashes exit remarks in The Nightly
Nathan Lyon says the ageing members of the Australian team are not waiting around for a grand send-off during the Ashes this summer, while Josh Hazlewood has defended his decision to return to the IPL instead of beginning his World Test Championship (WTC) preparation early, after the pair were among those criticised by Mitchell Johnson last week.
Writing for The Sunday Times and The Nightly,
Johnson wrote the Australian selectors faced tough decisions
regarding the veterans in the team following the WTC loss to South Africa at Lord's earlier this month.
'Our successful 'big four' bowling attack of Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon can't be taken for granted as a lock going forward either,' Johnson wrote.
'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. Lyon didn't look his best on day three either.
'If veteran players are sticking around just for the Ashes as a send-off, it does beg the question of whether that's the right mindset. It's crucial that we embrace the future and build confidence in selecting our next Test players.'
Hazlewood, 34, has a career bowling average of 24.7 over 73 Tests and took 35 wickets at an average of 13.6 in 2024.
He took 2-85 at Lord's and was part of a 59-run tenth wicket stand with Mitchell Starc that put Australia in a much-stronger position ahead of South Africa's second dig after Australia's batters failed in both innings.
Speaking in Bridgetown ahead of the first Test against the West Indies on Wednesday, Hazlewood explained why he decided to return to the IPL in late May after it was halted following air strikes between India and Pakistan.
'It seemed far and away the best place to get ready for any type of cricket that was coming up,' he said.
'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.
'In 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.'
Lyon, now aged 37, denied he had his sights set on retiring after the home Ashes series.
He has a bowling average of 30.33 for the 553 wickets he has taken across 137 Tests. In 2024 he had an average of 22.69 over nine Tests, taking 33 wickets.
'Regarding 'Johnno', there's nothing really to be said there,' Lyon said.
'We never take any of our positions for granted. There's that much competition within the squad … and guys putting the senior players under pressure.
'There's no one planning a farewell tour or anything like that. I don't see why the guys can't keep going for a number of years. They're only doing that for the betterment of Australian cricket. We want to play in games, we want to win games.
'That (South Africa loss) does still sting a fair bit, to be honest with you.
'We're really proud of the last two years that we've had to reach the final. Everyone says how hard finals are to reach, but we got outplayed. And that's the disappointing part of it — a tough pill to swallow.'
The selectors did heed Johnson's analysis that Marnus Labuschagne had run out of chances, dropping the Queenslander for Sam Konstas for the upcoming three-Test series.
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Matildas already singing to the Montemurro tune
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"Joe's come in with a wealth of experience, and he has a certain ideology of how he wants to play going forward. "These first couple of days, it's about taking as much as we can in and with these games it's going to be really good for us to try and implement that. "It's going to take maybe a bit of time, and that's why we have these games. "Do I think it's going to be perfect straight off the bat? I don't know. We're going to try our best." Perth is a happy place for Wheeler, having scored her first international goal at Optus Stadium during the Matildas' 8-0 romp over the Philippines in 2023. "Honestly, just pure joy," Wheeler said of the goal. "Hopefully I can do it again." The Joe Montemurro era at the Matildas has officially begun, and the new game plan is music to the ears for midfielder Clare Wheeler. The Matildas have assembled in Perth ahead of two games against Slovenia and two games against Panama. The action kicks off on Thursday night when the Matildas host Slovenia at HBF Park, with the match marking Montemurro's first game in charge of the national side. The four games in Western Australia are an important building block for Montemurro ahead of the 2026 Asian Cup in Australia, the 2027 World Cup in Brazil, and the 2028 Olympics. Montemurro has already held meetings with his players, and Wheeler is liking the fluid and control-style game plan the former Arsenal, Lyon and Juventus coach is encouraging. "As a midfielder, you want to get on the ball," Wheeler said. "So it's great when a coach says that he wants you on the ball. I think that's music to our ears. "And it's also a challenge ... especially against, opposition where you're under pressure a lot. "But I think when you have that trust from your coach that believes in the team to be able to do that, it feels good. "I can't wait to get started." The Matildas will be without plenty of star power for the games in WA. Sam Kerr is still recovering from her ruptured ACL and also a more recent injury that required surgery. Fellow star attacker Mary Fowler (knee) is also out with her own long-term injury, while Steph Catley, Caitlin Foord, Cortnee Vine and Katrina Gorry are on leave. Tameka Yallop (leg) is another player who is absent. Wheeler is amongst nine players who will only be available for the first two matches of the four-game block. Nevertheless, Wheeler said the two-week camp will be critical in helping the squad prepare for next year's Asian Cup, which begins on March 1. "There's not many camps left before Asian Cup, so every camp matters," she said. "Joe's come in with a wealth of experience, and he has a certain ideology of how he wants to play going forward. "These first couple of days, it's about taking as much as we can in and with these games it's going to be really good for us to try and implement that. "It's going to take maybe a bit of time, and that's why we have these games. "Do I think it's going to be perfect straight off the bat? I don't know. We're going to try our best." Perth is a happy place for Wheeler, having scored her first international goal at Optus Stadium during the Matildas' 8-0 romp over the Philippines in 2023. "Honestly, just pure joy," Wheeler said of the goal. "Hopefully I can do it again." The Joe Montemurro era at the Matildas has officially begun, and the new game plan is music to the ears for midfielder Clare Wheeler. The Matildas have assembled in Perth ahead of two games against Slovenia and two games against Panama. The action kicks off on Thursday night when the Matildas host Slovenia at HBF Park, with the match marking Montemurro's first game in charge of the national side. The four games in Western Australia are an important building block for Montemurro ahead of the 2026 Asian Cup in Australia, the 2027 World Cup in Brazil, and the 2028 Olympics. Montemurro has already held meetings with his players, and Wheeler is liking the fluid and control-style game plan the former Arsenal, Lyon and Juventus coach is encouraging. "As a midfielder, you want to get on the ball," Wheeler said. "So it's great when a coach says that he wants you on the ball. I think that's music to our ears. "And it's also a challenge ... especially against, opposition where you're under pressure a lot. "But I think when you have that trust from your coach that believes in the team to be able to do that, it feels good. "I can't wait to get started." The Matildas will be without plenty of star power for the games in WA. Sam Kerr is still recovering from her ruptured ACL and also a more recent injury that required surgery. Fellow star attacker Mary Fowler (knee) is also out with her own long-term injury, while Steph Catley, Caitlin Foord, Cortnee Vine and Katrina Gorry are on leave. Tameka Yallop (leg) is another player who is absent. Wheeler is amongst nine players who will only be available for the first two matches of the four-game block. Nevertheless, Wheeler said the two-week camp will be critical in helping the squad prepare for next year's Asian Cup, which begins on March 1. "There's not many camps left before Asian Cup, so every camp matters," she said. "Joe's come in with a wealth of experience, and he has a certain ideology of how he wants to play going forward. "These first couple of days, it's about taking as much as we can in and with these games it's going to be really good for us to try and implement that. "It's going to take maybe a bit of time, and that's why we have these games. "Do I think it's going to be perfect straight off the bat? I don't know. We're going to try our best." Perth is a happy place for Wheeler, having scored her first international goal at Optus Stadium during the Matildas' 8-0 romp over the Philippines in 2023. "Honestly, just pure joy," Wheeler said of the goal. "Hopefully I can do it again."
The Advertiser
7 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Rugby Australia warned: Release your Wallabies, or else
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They will then play the Queensland Reds (July 2), the NSW Waratahs (July 5) and the ACT Brumbies (July 9) before facing a combined Australia and New Zealand outfit in Adelaide on July 12. The Force will unleash Wallabies squad members Nick Champion de Crespigny, Dylan Pietsch, Tom Robertson, Darcy Swain and Nic White against the Lions on Saturday. But complicating matters is the fact the Wallabies take on Fiji on July 6, meaning other Force squad members like Carlo Tizzano, Harry Potter, Jeremy Williams and Ben Donaldson are in camp with the Wallabies and will miss out on the first tour match against the Lions. Australian coach Joe Schmidt was initially keen to protect most of his squad from the tour games, but has since softened his stance somewhat. The Lions want Rugby Australia to make as many Wallabies players as possible available for the tour matches. "The agreement is very clear. It says that Test players have to be released to play in the fixtures leading into that Test series, and so that's our expectation," Lions chief executive Ben Calveley said on Monday. "I think it's really important that these games are competitive. "And it's not just from a performance standpoint. The players do want to test themselves, and they do want to build towards the Test series. "It's also right for the fans and for the broadcasters and the partners and so forth, who are all expecting competitive fixtures, and for the rugby-loving public here in Australia, "We'll play the game at the weekend, and we'll carry on having discussions with Rugby Australia, with (RA chief executive) Phil Waugh and the rest of the executive team." The Lions are licking their wounds following a shock 28-24 loss to Argentina in Dublin last week. Though stung by the defeat, it opened the conversation of whether Argentina or even France deserved to be included on the current rotation of Lions tours. Currently, the Lions only tour every four years, alternating between Australia, South Africa and New Zealand. "We remain open to having discussions about what the future for the Lions may hold, but those conversations are for another time," Calveley said. "You can certainly understand why people will get excited about that sort of a concept (a series in France). "What's not to like about some of those wonderful clubs you could play against and some of those wonderful venues in the summer time as well? "I've seen the feedback over the last couple of weeks from various people ... and it was enormously positive. But we're focused now on this tour. "We haven't made any decisions to go in that direction yet." The British and Irish Lions have put Rugby Australia on notice, declaring the governing body will be breaking an agreement if they don't release Wallabies players to oppose them in tour games. After touching down in Perth on Sunday night, the Lions attended a Welcome to Country ceremony at Kings Park on Monday ahead of the highly-anticipated three-match Test series against Australia. The first Test will take place at Brisbane's Suncorp Stadium on July 19, but before that comes a concerted build-up for the tourists. More than 40,000 fans are expected to turn out to watch the Lions take on the Force at Optus Stadium on Saturday night. They will then play the Queensland Reds (July 2), the NSW Waratahs (July 5) and the ACT Brumbies (July 9) before facing a combined Australia and New Zealand outfit in Adelaide on July 12. The Force will unleash Wallabies squad members Nick Champion de Crespigny, Dylan Pietsch, Tom Robertson, Darcy Swain and Nic White against the Lions on Saturday. But complicating matters is the fact the Wallabies take on Fiji on July 6, meaning other Force squad members like Carlo Tizzano, Harry Potter, Jeremy Williams and Ben Donaldson are in camp with the Wallabies and will miss out on the first tour match against the Lions. Australian coach Joe Schmidt was initially keen to protect most of his squad from the tour games, but has since softened his stance somewhat. The Lions want Rugby Australia to make as many Wallabies players as possible available for the tour matches. "The agreement is very clear. It says that Test players have to be released to play in the fixtures leading into that Test series, and so that's our expectation," Lions chief executive Ben Calveley said on Monday. "I think it's really important that these games are competitive. "And it's not just from a performance standpoint. The players do want to test themselves, and they do want to build towards the Test series. "It's also right for the fans and for the broadcasters and the partners and so forth, who are all expecting competitive fixtures, and for the rugby-loving public here in Australia, "We'll play the game at the weekend, and we'll carry on having discussions with Rugby Australia, with (RA chief executive) Phil Waugh and the rest of the executive team." The Lions are licking their wounds following a shock 28-24 loss to Argentina in Dublin last week. Though stung by the defeat, it opened the conversation of whether Argentina or even France deserved to be included on the current rotation of Lions tours. Currently, the Lions only tour every four years, alternating between Australia, South Africa and New Zealand. "We remain open to having discussions about what the future for the Lions may hold, but those conversations are for another time," Calveley said. "You can certainly understand why people will get excited about that sort of a concept (a series in France). "What's not to like about some of those wonderful clubs you could play against and some of those wonderful venues in the summer time as well? "I've seen the feedback over the last couple of weeks from various people ... and it was enormously positive. But we're focused now on this tour. "We haven't made any decisions to go in that direction yet."
The Advertiser
7 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Six-year first no worry for Aussies in West Indies
Travis Head insists there are no concerns over top-order inexperience as Australia prepare to enter a Test match without Steve Smith or Manus Labuschagne for the first time since 2018. Wednesday's series opener against West Indies in Barbados will see a new-look top order for the tourists, with Sam Konstas expected to open and Josh Inglis to bat as high as No.4. Cameron Green will also likely feature in the top four alongside veteran Usman Khawaja, against an attack spearheaded by quick Shamar Joseph. Smith and Labuschagne have been something of a cornerstone of Australia's success over the past six years, with at least one of the pair featuring in every Test since Smith's return from the ball-tampering ban in 2019. The 2018 Boxing Day Test against India marks the last time neither played for Australia, while at least one of them featured in 118 of Australia's 124 Tests since midway through March 2013. "They're still around, so it still feels similar at the moment in the build up," Head said. "When we get into the game it will be a little new look. But it's guys who have already played, guys with experience already in a short amount of Test cricket. "And guys we have played a lot of different cricket around in my career. "It might be a bit different with some familiar faces, but there are some guys there who have been part of the group for a long time." The left-hander said he did not expect to move up the order to help bridge the gulf in experience, having become one of the world's best No.5s in recent years. Smith is some chance to return for the second Test in Grenada starting July 3, depending on the state of his finger after dislocating it in the World Test Championship final. And Head believed it would also only be a matter of time before Labuschagne also forced his way back in. "He will grind away," Head said. "He grinded yesterday after training. He will hit balls and work on his game. There is no doubt he will be back in international cricket. "Everyone has been through it. "He will go about his thing. He will get better and let's hope for a better, stronger Marnus when he comes back." The West Indies series will form the start of the next Test Championship cycle, while also offering selectors a crucial eye to this summer's Ashes. Head said the team had tried to move on fast from their defeat to South Africa at Lord's earlier this month, with a new motivation to make the 2027 decider. "It's unfortunate, we put two years of hard work into one week and it didn't quite go to plan," the South Australian said. "There is another motivation, we have two years to build and have another look at it. "If you dwell on it for too long or look back, you forget about what is coming." Travis Head insists there are no concerns over top-order inexperience as Australia prepare to enter a Test match without Steve Smith or Manus Labuschagne for the first time since 2018. Wednesday's series opener against West Indies in Barbados will see a new-look top order for the tourists, with Sam Konstas expected to open and Josh Inglis to bat as high as No.4. Cameron Green will also likely feature in the top four alongside veteran Usman Khawaja, against an attack spearheaded by quick Shamar Joseph. Smith and Labuschagne have been something of a cornerstone of Australia's success over the past six years, with at least one of the pair featuring in every Test since Smith's return from the ball-tampering ban in 2019. The 2018 Boxing Day Test against India marks the last time neither played for Australia, while at least one of them featured in 118 of Australia's 124 Tests since midway through March 2013. "They're still around, so it still feels similar at the moment in the build up," Head said. "When we get into the game it will be a little new look. But it's guys who have already played, guys with experience already in a short amount of Test cricket. "And guys we have played a lot of different cricket around in my career. "It might be a bit different with some familiar faces, but there are some guys there who have been part of the group for a long time." The left-hander said he did not expect to move up the order to help bridge the gulf in experience, having become one of the world's best No.5s in recent years. Smith is some chance to return for the second Test in Grenada starting July 3, depending on the state of his finger after dislocating it in the World Test Championship final. And Head believed it would also only be a matter of time before Labuschagne also forced his way back in. "He will grind away," Head said. "He grinded yesterday after training. He will hit balls and work on his game. There is no doubt he will be back in international cricket. "Everyone has been through it. "He will go about his thing. He will get better and let's hope for a better, stronger Marnus when he comes back." The West Indies series will form the start of the next Test Championship cycle, while also offering selectors a crucial eye to this summer's Ashes. Head said the team had tried to move on fast from their defeat to South Africa at Lord's earlier this month, with a new motivation to make the 2027 decider. "It's unfortunate, we put two years of hard work into one week and it didn't quite go to plan," the South Australian said. "There is another motivation, we have two years to build and have another look at it. "If you dwell on it for too long or look back, you forget about what is coming." Travis Head insists there are no concerns over top-order inexperience as Australia prepare to enter a Test match without Steve Smith or Manus Labuschagne for the first time since 2018. Wednesday's series opener against West Indies in Barbados will see a new-look top order for the tourists, with Sam Konstas expected to open and Josh Inglis to bat as high as No.4. Cameron Green will also likely feature in the top four alongside veteran Usman Khawaja, against an attack spearheaded by quick Shamar Joseph. Smith and Labuschagne have been something of a cornerstone of Australia's success over the past six years, with at least one of the pair featuring in every Test since Smith's return from the ball-tampering ban in 2019. The 2018 Boxing Day Test against India marks the last time neither played for Australia, while at least one of them featured in 118 of Australia's 124 Tests since midway through March 2013. "They're still around, so it still feels similar at the moment in the build up," Head said. "When we get into the game it will be a little new look. But it's guys who have already played, guys with experience already in a short amount of Test cricket. "And guys we have played a lot of different cricket around in my career. "It might be a bit different with some familiar faces, but there are some guys there who have been part of the group for a long time." The left-hander said he did not expect to move up the order to help bridge the gulf in experience, having become one of the world's best No.5s in recent years. Smith is some chance to return for the second Test in Grenada starting July 3, depending on the state of his finger after dislocating it in the World Test Championship final. And Head believed it would also only be a matter of time before Labuschagne also forced his way back in. "He will grind away," Head said. "He grinded yesterday after training. He will hit balls and work on his game. There is no doubt he will be back in international cricket. "Everyone has been through it. "He will go about his thing. He will get better and let's hope for a better, stronger Marnus when he comes back." The West Indies series will form the start of the next Test Championship cycle, while also offering selectors a crucial eye to this summer's Ashes. Head said the team had tried to move on fast from their defeat to South Africa at Lord's earlier this month, with a new motivation to make the 2027 decider. "It's unfortunate, we put two years of hard work into one week and it didn't quite go to plan," the South Australian said. "There is another motivation, we have two years to build and have another look at it. "If you dwell on it for too long or look back, you forget about what is coming."
