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India.com
2 hours ago
- Sport
- India.com
Josh Hazlewood gives savage message as several foreign players leave IPL 2025 ahead of WTC final
Josh Hazlewood celebrating a wicket with Virat Kohli. New Delhi: Josh Hazlewood's return for Royal Challengers Bengaluru after recovering from an injury, proved to be a blessing in disguise and a solid preparation for the pacer himself, who believes this intensity will be beneficial during the World Test Championship against South Africa next month. After recovering from a shoulder injury, Hazlewood participated in the IPL a month did not looked rusty at all. He helped Royal Challengers Bengaluru reach their first final after 2016 with an eight-wicket victory over Punjab Kings. This performance served as a positive indicator of his readiness for the upcoming World Test Championship final against South Africa, starting June 11th at Lord's. '…I've got to be bowling, you know wherever I am in the world, I've got to be bowling getting ready for that game (WTC final) anyway,' said Hazlewood after featuring in his first IPL game since April 27. 'There's no better place than I think out in the middle, obviously you've got to bowl more, more hours of training from time to time to build up for a Test, but to get that intensity right up, there's no better place than the IPL,' he added. Hazlewood, a Test cricketer renowned for his persistent bowling and ability to extract movement from the pitch, has significantly improved his T20 performance. He struggles to consistently bowl effectively, and when his bowling is particularly good, he opts for wide yorkers as a strategy. Shreyas Iyer and Josh Inglis, key players for the Punjab Kings, were dismissed, significantly weakening the team's performance. 'I don't bowl too much differently in Test match cricket than tonight,' said the seasoned Australian pacer. Despite missing most of the season due to injury, the player's contribution to RCB was significant. He led the team in wickets with 21, averaging 15.80 runs per wicket in just 11 matches. His absence would significantly weaken RCB's bowling attack.
Express Tribune
3 hours ago
- Sport
- Express Tribune
Hazlewood in great touch for WTC final
Australia's Josh Hazlewood said it was perfect preparation for the World Test Championship final after delivering a match-winning performance on his return to the IPL. The fast bowler finished with figures of 3-21 as Royal Challengers Bengaluru sealed their place in the IPL decider with an eight-wicket thrashing of Punjab Kings on Thursday. The 34-year-old only recently rejoined Bengaluru after returning home due to a shoulder injury and following the stoppage in the league caused by the conflict between India and Pakistan. He struck two key blows at Mullanpur including skipper Shreyas Iyer for two as Bengaluru bundled out Punjab for 101. With the WTC final at Lord's between Australia and South Africa starting on June 11, it was a perfect reminder of his prowess. "I've got to be bowling. You know, wherever I am in the world I've got to be bowling, getting ready for that game anyway," Hazlewood said. "There's no better place than I think out in the middle. Obviously you've got to bowl more hours of training from time to time to build up for a Test, but to get that intensity right up, there's no better place than the IPL." He added: "I don't bowl too much differently in Test match cricket than tonight, so it's still that hard length, so I feel in a good place." Some foreign stars including Australia's Mitchell Starc did not return. But Hazlewood decided to be with Virat Kohli's Bengaluru and after his spell of 3.1 overs at a bowling-friendly pitch feels ready for a critical fortnight. "Worked really hard the last few weeks on the shoulders to get back and got some good overs into it the last sort of 10 days," said Hazlewood. "And yeah it is feeling good to be back." Bengaluru, who are chasing their first IPL title, await their opponent in the final on June 3 at the world's biggest cricket stadium in Ahmedabad. "I think we've just got all bases covered," said Hazlewood. "I think any one of the five or six bowlers can bowl at any moment of the game, whether it's the start, middle or end."
IOL News
10 hours ago
- Sport
- IOL News
Q & A: Graeme Smith on his love for Lord's, the Aussies and Proteas spearhead Kagiso Rabada
GRAEME Smith and other Proteas legends speaking at the current squad's send off ahead of the departure to the World Test Championship final at Lord's. | Itumeleng English/Independent Newspapers Image: Itumeleng English/independent Newspapers Independent Media's Zaahier Adams, who will be covering the World Test Championship final between the Proteas and Australia at Lord's, sits down exclusively with former captain Graeme Smith. Smith shares his vast experience of the unique challenge of facing Australia, the charms of Lord's, and speculates about the make-up of the Proteas starting XI… ZA: Graeme, we here at the Betway SA20 office, how is the day job going these days? It's actually unbelievable the amount of people that think when our season finishes that the work comes to an end. You get asked, what are you doing now? I've got a really good team at SA20 and working hard already on hopefully improving a number of things and getting things right for Season 4. ZA: But before that gets underway, there's quite a big thing happening in South African cricket the next couple of weeks, the World Test Championship final, with the Proteas playing for the golden mace, something you know a little bit about … I've been fortunate to get my hands on the mace a few times. The thing about the mace is to get there and get your hands on it, the amount of toil and hard work that goes into achieving that No 1 status in Test cricket. Travelling the world, you've got to have a team that can handle pressure for five days, that can handle the mental state and perform the skills consistently in many different conditions. It's a reward of performance over a period of time. It's great that South Africa are back in that place with the opportunity to get their hands on it. Graeme Smith PROTEAS legend Grame Smith. | Itumeleng English/independent Newspapers Image: Itumeleng English/independent Newspapers ZA: The opposition is none other than the arch-enemy Australia. A team you enjoyed many a battle with. So, let's rewind to your debut series in 2001, you receive a verbal barrage, and you speak about it publicly afterwards… It came back to a bit of innocence as well, naivety. I think for me, playing against that great Australian team, making my debut as a youngster at 21 years old, and then performing reasonably well in a cauldron like that when it was so highly pressurised, The (Australian) attack was probably one of the better attacks I've ever played against … (Jason) Gillespie, (Brett) Lee, (Shane) Warne, (Glenn) McGrath. And of course, Steve Waugh was still there, that old school hard Australian style. I think for me, just doing an interview afterwards, I was actually speaking out of excitement. I learnt a valuable lesson because the reporter took advantage of it and it became a big thing. Independent Media's Zaahier Adams will be at Lord's covering the ICC World Test Championship final. Picture: Independent Media Image: Independent Media ZA: Four years later, you are now captain of the Proteas heading Down Under. And you take a lot of the responsibility on yourself both on and off the field. Do you feel it is key that the captain has to lead the way when facing Australia? I think as you grow, you balance things. At the time, we were a team that probably wasn't good enough to go and win in Australia. A lot of players going there for the first time. It was a valuable lesson for me, that tour. It was my first experience of touring Australia. Yes, I tried to take a few things extra on my shoulders. We fought hard in that series. I think for me, a lot of valuable lessons that I took away, that really helped frame us going back there in 08-09 and how we wanted to go about it. Building the type of team that can go there to be successful. (3:56) What are the challenges you need to overcome? (3:58) A lot of hard lessons on that first tour that were tough, (4:01) that ultimately framed the future successes. ZA: You finally climbed Everest in 2008. You beat the Aussies on their home patch. The celebrations in Melbourne were extremely special. What did that mean to you as a group to go there after all the hardship that had gone before? Winning at probably one of their most iconic stadiums, winning the series at the MCG. When you start on Boxing Day, you walk out there, you're like, wow, this is just an incredible coliseum to perform in. Then winning for the first time in Australia was just an amazing moment. I had watched teams and been a part of a team that had gone there and suffered at the hands heavily. It's a hard tour. The media is tough. The crowds are tough. They're an incredible cricket nation, a lot of outstanding players. It's a huge hurdle to overcome. I think it was so important that South African Cricket broke that barrier down in 08-09. There's an image that I'll never forget of getting onto the team bus and Jacques Kallis is all emotional and in tears. For him, it had been such a tough run and now he'd overcome it. There was JP Duminy bouncing on him on his first ever tour. He was like, what's all this fuss about? The Proteas claimed the ICC Test mace at Lord's under Smith's leadership in 2012. Picture: AFP Image: AFP ZA: And then you head back in 2012, and do it all over again! By then we were a team that had come together. We had some incredible bowlers. A great attack. We had depth with Kallis as an all-rounder and De Villiers performing and another all-rounder in JP. We also had a batting unit where the majority of the guys averaged close to 50 or over 50. We built a culture, we built a value system. We knew what we stood for and the performances just followed. ZA: It all basically reached a crescendo at Lords in 2012, and you lift the mace. The Proteas are the best team in the world. Just that experience, the Lords' experience. How does this young Proteas side going there now, how do they cope with the enormity of the situation? There's a lot of experience around South African cricket now. Maybe that's something we can get better at is the sharing of knowledge and experience of what was important for us. For example, arriving at Lords, there can be a lot of fanfare because it's people's first experience of the museum, the ground, the traditions that come with it, the Members Stand. Often, it's about getting those little things out of the way and dealing with it pre-game. It is just an amazing place to go and play cricket and to have a final, a World Championship final there, adds to the occasion. Hopefully the South African team really just recognises the opportunity and is determined to go and do well. ZA: What are the biggest challenges facing the Proteas? We know that they've got certain challenges they're going to need to overcome against a very successful Australian team. They're the underdogs. But what an opportunity. It would be fantastic to see, in a one-off Test match, they give it everything and perform their skills. ZA: How do you approach a once-off Test match? Obviously, preparation is key. I think for the underdog team it's a benefit. If you can get your stuff together and a couple of players or you get a batting unit that suddenly posts a total or your bowlers get you into the game, it really is. Over a three to five test match series, you expect the better teams to get better and better. The pressure over a lengthy period of time will take its toll on a team that's maybe got a few gaps. But in a once-off, you've got six days to really get it together and perform your skills. Graeme Smith has the highest score by an overseas batter at Lord's. Picture: AFP Image: AFP ZA: How do you think Temba Bavuma, as captain of the Proteas, needs to front up to the Aussies? I think Temba will go about it his own way. He's not a guy that shouts from the rooftops. He's calm, assured. The most important thing for Temba is his performance with the bat. There's a lot of players in that line-up that can bat around a Temba, and with his consistent performance of late, if he can take that into the game, it really does calm things down and settle things down for the rest of the unit. Then tactically, I think it's going to be important to see how they go about it, him and Shuks, in terms of selection. What's the type of bowling line-up they're going to put together? What's the weather? What's the pitch look like? Try and put combinations together that can really hurt Australia. ZA: In 2012, we saw the importance of JP Duminy and Vernon Philander scoring valuable runs at Nos 7 and 8. Do the Proteas stack their side again with the all-rounders? Just watching Shuks, he is a little bit unpredictable in terms of his selections, but I do think that he likes those options in terms of having a few more options with the ball and batting a little bit deeper. Depending on the weather, I would always be very nervous at Lord's to go without a spin option. Kesh (Maharaj) has been an outstanding option for Temba. If the sun does come out, sometimes that pitch can get good and you'll need someone to control the game as well. That's often the nuance as a captain and a coach is trying to find that balance in your XI. ZA: If you had a message to this young Proteas side before easily the biggest game of their lives, what would that message be to that group of players? Well, motivation shouldn't be an issue for the guys getting there. If you're not motivated, then there's something wrong. A lot of work probably needs to go into handling of situations, how they're going to handle the media, what's going to be their messages. Getting used to the Duke ball what are the key factors that they want to get right in the Test Match from a strategy perspective. Focusing on that and then putting all things on the table. I think one of the great things about the team that we built when travelling to Australia, we actually built in things to deal with. Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen will be influential for the Proteas at Lord's. Picture: AFP Image: AFP
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Business Standard
13 hours ago
- Sport
- Business Standard
No better place than out in the middle: Hazlewood on IPL stint for RCB
Josh Hazlewood's return to Royal Challengers Bengaluru after an injury break is a blessing for the franchise and good preparation for the Australian pacer, who says the intensity he is building up here will come in handy during the World Test Championship final against South Africa next month. Having recovered from a shoulder injury, Hazlewood played in the IPL after a month but showed no signs of rust, helping Royal Challengers Bengaluru reach their first final since 2016 with an eight-wicket win over Punjab Kings. The performance was also a tick mark for his preparations ahead of the World Test Championship final against South Africa beginning at Lord's on June 11. "...I've got to be bowling, you know wherever I am in the world, I've got to be bowling getting ready for that game (WTC final) anyway," said Hazlewood after featuring in his first IPL game since April 27. "There's no better place than I think out in the middle, obviously you've got to bowl more, more hours of training from time to time to build up for a Test, but to get that intensity right up, there's no better place than the IPL," he asserted after a brilliant haul of 3/21. Hazlewood, who predominantly gets movement off the pitch, is known for his relentless spells in Test cricket but over time has also taken his T20 game to the next level. His hard lengths are difficult to put away and when the pitch is an absolute belter, he resorts to bowling wide yorkers. On Thursday night, the pitch here allowed him to bowl Test match lengths and he ended up with match-turning figures in his 3.1 overs. His victims included the in-form Shreyas Iyer and Josh Inglis, breaking the back of a self-destructing Punjab Kings. "I don't bowl too much differently in Test match cricket than tonight," said the seasoned Australian pacer. His value at RCB can't be overstated as despite playing only 11 games due to injury, he remains the leading wicket-taker for his franchise with 21 scalps at an average of 15.80. Take him out of the attack and RCB attack looks vulnerable. Talking more about his recovery from the shoulder injury, Hazlewood said, "(I have) worked really hard the last few weeks on the shoulders to get back and got some good overs into it the last sort of 10 days, and yeah it is feeling good to be back... "...So, I was happy with tonight, the wicket helped obviously didn't it? Not having to bowl fast yorkers or anything like that. So yeah it is feeling good to be back." We have got all bases covered Leg-spinner Suyash Sharma too was on the money while Hazlewood was well supported by Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Yash Dayal. "We've just got all bases covered, it feels like. I think any one of the five or six bowlers can bowl at any moment of the game, whether it's the start, middle or end," said Hazlewood. "It obviously helps having Bhuvi, who has so much experience, quite a calm customer, so that sort of rubs off on the rest of their attack. I'm probably pretty similar to Bhuvi as well in that regard, everything's quite relaxed, quite calm, focus on your skill and try and execute that. "I think maybe a few of the younger guys in the attack have picked up on that and taken it into their own games." There was swing and seam on offer and RCB made the most of the conditions and bundled out the opposition for 101 before chasing the small target in 10 overs. "There was a little bit of seam movement, the bounce was probably a little bit inconsistent, so we sort of utilised that as best we could. Yeah, the conditions were great to bowl first. "Then obviously Suyash went for the middle order, he has bowled really well in spells throughout the whole tournament, but has been a little bit unlucky in the wicket-taking front, but obviously tonight got on a roll," added Hazlewood.
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Business Standard
13 hours ago
- Sport
- Business Standard
Jonny Bairstow, Gleeson to debut for MI in IPL 2025 Eliminator vs GT
Mumbai Indians (MI) have made bold moves ahead of their crucial IPL 2025 Eliminator clash against Gujarat Titans (GT), handing debuts to two English players. Bairstow and Gleeson handed MI debuts Wicketkeeper-batter Jonny Bairstow and pacer Richard Gleeson will feature in MI's playing 11 for the first time this season. Bairstow comes in as a replacement for Ryan Rickelton, while Gleeson fills the spot left by Corbin Bosch. Both South African players had to exit the tournament early to join their national squad for the upcoming World Test Championship (WTC) Final 2025. Bairstow is expected to slot in as a direct replacement for Rickelton at the top of the order, providing firepower in the powerplay. Gleeson, who represented Chennai Super Kings (CSK) last season, replaces the injured Deepak Chahar in the bowling attack. The changes reflect MI's attempt to strengthen their side ahead of the high-stakes knockout match. Bairstow gives MI fiery start Bairstow missed out on his fifty as his 22-ball 47 runs gave his side a fiery start as the English batter justified his pace in the eleven very well. He was dismissed in the 8th over courtesy of Sai Kishore on the night. His knock consisted of four boundaries and 3 sixes as he supported his opening partner Rohit Sharma quite well to make sure his side gets a mammoth total on the board against Gujarat.
