‘Raised Eyebrows…’: Former Australian cricketer slammed Josh Hazlewood for making prioritizing IPL over national commitments

Former Australian player Mitchell Johnson slammed at Josh Hazlewood, who prioritized the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 over the World Test championship (WTC) 2025 final against South Africa.

Josh Hazlewood is one of the standout bowlers for Royal Challengers Bengaluru, and had rejoined the franchise when the IPL was temporarily suspended because of the border tensions between India and Pakistan.

Add Cricket Country as a Preferred Source

Speaking about RCB, they beat Punjab Kings and secured their maiden IPL title with Josh Hazlewood present with the rest of the team. Hazlewood ended the season with 22 wickets in the season.

“We’ve seen concerns about Hazlewood’s fitness in recent years, and his decision to prioritise returning to the delayed Indian Premier League over his national team preparations raised eyebrows,” wrote Johnson.

“Our successful ‘big four’ bowling attack of Mitchell Starc, Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon can’t be taken for granted as a lock going forward either,” he added.

“If veteran players are sticking around just for the Ashes as a send-off, it does beg the question of whether that’s the right mindset. It’s crucial that we embrace the future and build confidence in selecting our next Test players,” he further added.

Josh Hazlewood was a vital player in Australian pace lineup during the World Test Championship 2025 final at Lord’s. The team lost the title-deciding clash, Hazlewood managed to pick only 2 wickets.