Former Australia skipper Michael Clarke feels Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) pacer Josh Hazlewood should take some rest instead of taking part in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) season.
“I don’t know why he’s over playing IPL. I don’t know why he’s not over here in Australia preparing to play Test match cricket,” Clarke told Fox Sports.
While the 2023 edition of IPL will come to an end on May 28, Australia are due to take on India in the World Test Championship (WTC) final at the Oval from June 7-11.
The WTC final will be followed by a five-match Ashes series in England from June 16 to July 31.
After recovering from the Achilles injury, which kept him out of action for almost four months, Hazlewood played his first game in the IPL 2023 for RCB against Lucknow Super Giants on May 1.
Despite an extended injury lay-off, Hazlewood starred with the ball in RCB’s win, claiming two wickets for 15 runs in his three overs.
However, Clarke questioned how playing in the IPL is ideal preparation for Test match cricket.
“I know they’ll have people over there, in the nets he’ll be bowling more than what the IPL players are bowling, in preparation for Test match cricket,” Clarke stated.
“But I just don’t know if him bowling three overs, four overs right now is his best preparation for an Ashes series, after the injuries he’s had and the amount of time he’s had out of Test cricket,” he added.
When asked if Cricket Australia should have stopped Hazlewood from participating in the IPL, Clarke said: “They can do it now. They can stop you going. But it’s India. Are you kidding? No one is saying no to India.”
Clarke also mentioned Mumbai Indians all-rounder Cameron Green and said, “We had the conversation about Cameron Green … is it in Cameron’s Green’s interest right now, with his body, with the Ashes series coming up, with the amount of cricket we have coming up, for him to be over there playing IPL? Or would he be better off taking four weeks rest, recover, rehab and start a pre-season?”
“Unless Cricket Australia are going to say, ‘OK the IPL has just offered you $3 million for eight weeks … we’ll pay you that $3 million you stay home and train with us,’ there’s nothing they can do,” he further remarked.
(Fox Sports Inputs)
