NEW DELHI: Australian fast-bowling workhorse Josh Hazlewood believes that the era of year-round cricket doesn’t necessarily mean the death of three-format players — but only if they are smart, selective and brutally disciplined with their calendars.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Speaking on the Royal Challengers Bengaluru podcast, Hazlewood laid out a clear blueprint for how modern cricketers can survive the relentless scheduling maze. His comments come at a time when multi-format stars across nations are increasingly breaking down, opting out, or limiting their commitments.Hazlewood, 34, who has remained one of Australia’s most reliable cross-format pacers alongside Pat Cummins, recently skipped the final three T20Is against England to play a Sheffield Shield game for New South Wales — a deliberate move to tune up for the Ashes.The veteran pacer said balancing formats is still “possible,” but only through meticulous planning and honest conversations.
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Do you think year-round cricket is sustainable for multi-format players?
“I think it’s (playing all formats) possible to a degree,” Hazlewood said. “In a five-match series, playing Games 1, 3 and 5… or heading home for a few weeks just to refresh… missing the odd game… picking and choosing your moments.”Emphasising Australia’s clear communication system, he added: “That’s the biggest meeting we have — go through the calendar, see exactly what we want to play… not resting the whole series but picking and choosing your moments.”Hazlewood noted that players are given autonomy to manage their workloads.“Obviously, all the Test matches are given… we can play two out of three, or three out of five… often if there is a Test round the corner, you have to build up anyway.”Hazlewood and Cummins will miss the opening Test in Perth due to injuries, but both remain central to Australia’s Ashes plans alongside Mitchell Starc.
