Ashes 2025: Josh Hazlewood Ruled Out of Gabba Test as Pat Cummins Nears Return

Josh Hazlewood will miss the second Test of the Ashes 2025 in Brisbane, but Australia expects him to play a role later in the Australia vs England Test series . Hazlewood was ruled out of the opening match in Perth after suffering a hamstring injury during a Sheffield Shield game. While he won’t be available for the upcoming match at the Gabba, the latest Josh Hazlewood injury update confirms that he will rejoin the squad in Brisbane to continue his rehabilitation.

Coach Andrew McDonald said Hazlewood is currently navigating the early stages of his recovery. “He's working through the first week of his rehab,” McDonald noted. “Once he gets further down the track and we have some rough timelines, we’ll be able to communicate that. I know that he'll be available at some point during the series.” The message was clear—Hazlewood won’t play the pink-ball Test Gabba fixture, but he remains very much in Australia’s plans for the rest of the Ashes 2025.

McDonald was far more optimistic about Pat Cummins’ return. The fast bowler missed the Perth Test due to a lumbar stress issue, but signs are positive as the Gabba Test approaches. “For those who saw him in Perth, he looked like a player nearing the completion of his rehabilitation,” McDonald said. “The intensity was there, the ball speed was there. Now we’re just making sure we don’t accelerate too quickly and put him at risk.”

The final call on Cummins’ selection is likely to be taken close to match day, but the coach’s tone suggests a strong possibility of the Australian skipper returning for the crucial pink-ball Test Gabba clash in the Australia vs England Test series.

Pink-Ball Practice Debate

Meanwhile, England’s preparation has sparked debate. Only three members of England’s Ashes squad—Jacob Bethell, Matthew Potts and Josh Tongue—have been cleared to join the Lions for the Prime Minister’s XI match in Canberra, a two-day day-night fixture starting Saturday. These three did not feature in the first Test in Perth, making the decision particularly significant ahead of the upcoming pink-ball Test Gabba starting December 4.

The exclusion of the rest of England’s squad from the warm-up game has already drawn criticism. Former England captain Michael Vaughan did not hold back, calling the decision “amateurish.”

“What harm is playing two days of cricket with a pink ball under lights?” Vaughan asked. “A pink ball is different to a red ball. Playing under lights is different. Australia have won almost every pink-ball game in Australia. I’d like to know why they wouldn’t play.”

England will travel from Perth to Brisbane on Wednesday and begin practice ahead of the high-stakes second Test of the Ashes 2025.