Sydney, Feb 6 (NationPress) Australia faces yet another setback as fast bowler Josh Hazlewood has been officially declared out of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, which kicks off on Saturday in Sri Lanka and India, due to his inability to recover in time for this prestigious tournament.

Hazlewood sustained a hamstring injury during his last Sheffield Shield match prior to the Ashes. Although he was initially ruled out of the series against England due to this strain, complications arose as he developed an Achilles issue while recuperating.

Having not participated in a match since his injury on November 12 during the Sheffield Shield, Hazlewood was included in the World Cup squad despite remaining in Sydney while the team gathered in Sri Lanka this week.

However, just five days before Australia's opening encounter against Ireland in Colombo on February 11, national selector Tony Dodemaide stated that the 35-year-old is still a significant distance from achieving full fitness.

"We were optimistic that Josh would regain match fitness by the Super Eights phase, but the latest updates suggest he is still quite a way off. Attempting to hasten his recovery would pose a substantial risk," Dodemaide remarked.

Australia has decided not to announce a replacement immediately, as selectors plan to reevaluate based on conditions and needs as the tournament unfolds. "We believe we have sufficient coverage for the early matches, so we will make any necessary decisions later based on priority needs at that time," he added.

Despite not having played in the T20 format for almost four years, Hazlewood boasts an impressive record. He was instrumental in leading Australia to their first T20 World Cup title in the UAE in 2021, achieving figures of 3 for 16 in the final against New Zealand.

He has taken 133 wickets at an average of 20.44, maintaining an economy rate of 7.57. Among the 75 fast bowlers who have bowled at least 2000 deliveries between January 2020 and the end of 2022, his average ranks second (behind India's pace ace Jasprit Bumrah), with his economy placing him eighth.

The 35-year-old pacer joins fellow fast bowler Pat Cummins on the injury list. Currently, Xavier Bartlett and Ben Dwarshuis from the Sixers are the only two fully fit frontline quicks. Sean Abbott, who was added as a traveling reserve last week, may eventually step in as Hazlewood's replacement.

Nathan Ellis and Tim David, both of whom have been managing hamstring concerns, are expected to be available for the group stage, while Adam Zampa (dealing with groin tightness) will be ready for the first match in Colombo next week.

Australia's warm-up match against The Netherlands was called off on Thursday, but they still have a six-day preparatory window before their opening group game against Ireland.

Skipper Mitchell Marsh remains optimistic, asserting that Australia has "a lot of bases covered with our squad" thanks to the inclusion of seam-bowling all-rounders like Marcus Stoinis and Cameron Green.

"We’ve managed to develop considerable depth within our squad, and the players who have come in have substantial experience with our group. Hence, we are confident they can deliver when needed, and we will select teams based on the conditions," Marsh expressed.

"Matthew Kuhnemann has been outstanding for us. We also have Adam Zampa, along with a few spinning all-rounders, like most teams will. Thus, I believe we are well-equipped, and now it’s just a matter of getting down to business," Marsh concluded.