IPL Is Probably The Strongest T20 Competition In The World, Up There With The Big Bash: Josh Hazlewood

Australian seamer Josh Hazlewood has emphasised the importance of IPL for the players turning into better cricketers as a result of it. Conducting IPL indeed comes off as a challenge this year due to the COVID-19 threat; however, BCCI has offered hope of staging it at the UAE between September and November. Josh Hazlewood believes that his countrymen would be better off featuring in the extravaganza than the Australian domestic cricket.

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Josh Hazlewood received a bid from the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the auction ahead of the 13th season. While the towering seamer is a Test-match specialist, he has also found success in the limited-overs arena.

Hazlewood is one of those rare bowlers, who rely on precision instead of pace. While he has managed to increase his speed in recent times, accuracy remains his primary weapon to pick wickets.

According to Josh Hazlewood, there exist a few hurdles for the competition to take place but placed the league at the top alongside the Big Bash League. He feels that playing in the tournament gives the players invaluable experience of the conditions and pitches and how to adapt to it.

The 29-year-old also remained with the Mumbai Indians previously but never played a game.

“There are a few things to fall into place yet but the IPL is such a huge part of the year for a lot of players and probably the strongest T20 competition in the world, up there with the Big Bash, and you learn a lot about how to play your T20 cricket and how to play in those conditions,” Hazlewood stated as quoted by ESPN Cricinfo.

The New South Wales bowler remarked that the athletes come out of the tournament as much better and developed players. At the same time, he admitted that the domestic games prepare themselves for the gruelling international schedule ahead.

“You’ve seen guys come out of it much better players so there’s a lot of positives to it, so if that takes a few games off us playing for New South Wales in the build-up to the international summer that’s a tough call, (and) probably comes back to the individual,” Hazlewood remarked.

I feel I only need one, maximum two games, to get ready for a Test: Josh Hazlewood

Josh Hazlewood went on to emphasize the importance of training for the players, especially the fast bowlers while complying with the quarantine norms. As far as the seamer’s case goes, he needs only a game or two to be ready to play Test cricket as they have made quick transitions in the past.

“As long as we can train during that period it will be okay, it’s if we come back and we can’t train during that two-week period. We’ve built these loads up as fast bowlers then two weeks really hurts us coming into a summer of Test cricket. As far as red-ball ball cricket goes I feel I only need one, maximum two games, to get ready for a Test. There have been summers where we’ve come from a white-ball tour and only played one (red-ball game) and it’s been fine,” the 29-year-old added further.

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