Australia fast bowler Josh Hazlewood is just five wickets away from the landmark of 300 Test wickets, yet the pacer insists team success remains his overriding priority as Australia brace for a gruelling schedule of 21 Test matches over the next 12 months. Hazlewood made the remarks at Australia's training camp in Brisbane on Thursday, ahead of the side's series opener against Bangladesh in Darwin.

Return from a 13-Month Absence

Hazlewood missed Australia's victorious home Ashes series last summer after suffering a hamstring injury followed by a calf issue, keeping him out of Test cricket for 13 months. The Darwin fixture against Bangladesh will mark his return to the longest format, and should he reach the 300-wicket milestone there, he will join an elite club of Australian fast bowling greats: Dennis Lillee, Glenn McGrath, Brett Lee, Mitchell Johnson, Mitchell Starc, and Pat Cummins.

Big Series the Real Motivation

Despite the personal milestone within touching distance, Hazlewood was candid about what truly drives him and his teammates. Speaking to reporters, he pointed to upcoming away series against England, India, and South Africa as the ultimate targets.

'This group's been together for quite a long time now — the majority of it, anyway — and the big series are obviously England and India. I haven't won in South Africa either, so there's three that are coming up … a few boxes to tick off there (for) not just me, (but) this whole playing group,' Hazlewood said.

He added that the prospect of those away contests has been a constant motivator throughout his rehabilitation. 'That's been a driving factor during this prep, in the back of your head, and even (in) the months leading into it. (They're) some real big Test series, and they're all away, so (it's) tough competition and hopefully we get the job done,' he said.

Hazlewood Keen to Partner Boland

With workload management central to Australia's plans across a packed calendar, Hazlewood also expressed enthusiasm about bowling alongside fellow quick Scott Boland, who delivered consistently strong performances during the Ashes in Hazlewood's absence.

'I'd love to play more with Scotty. We're obviously a little bit similar, but I think there's still a lot of differences in our bowling. Every time he's come in, he's done unbelievably well. His career just keeps getting better and better the older he gets,' Hazlewood said.

He acknowledged that the depth of Australia's pace attack — which also includes Michael Neser and Brendan Doggett — means all six quicks will likely be called upon at various points over the next 18 months.

Tailor-Made Test Preparation

Hazlewood spent recent weeks at the National Cricket Centre in Brisbane, undergoing a structured red-ball preparation designed to replicate the demands of Test match cricket. He noted this was the first time he had entered a Test series without any white-ball or tour-match cricket as a lead-in.

'Leading into other Test series and Test matches, you're playing T20, you're playing one-dayers, you're travelling, so it's tough to fit those bowling sessions in. This has been sort of tailor-made for a Test match,' he said, describing sessions that involved bowling multiple spells across back-to-back days to simulate a day in the field.

With Darwin on the immediate horizon and three marquee away series beyond it, Hazlewood's return will be one of the most closely watched storylines in world cricket over the coming year.