Bengaluru, Nov 20 (PTI) With cricket becoming a year-round pursuit, playing all formats might be taking a toll on players but experienced Australian pacer Josh Hazlewood feels it is possible to do the balancing act with meticulous planning and strategising.
Hazlewood, one of the most feared Australian fast bowlers, who has consistently played all formats along with Pat Cummins, recently missed the last three T20Is against England to play a Sheffield Shield game for New South Wales against Victoria to prepare for the Ashes.
The 34-year-old said picking and choosing games is the right way to maintain the career balance and remain refreshed for the entire season.
"I think it's (playing all formats) possible to a degree. I think Australian cricket is getting a lot better. In a five-match series, playing Games 1, 3 and 5, or 1, 2 and 3 and then heading home for a few weeks just to refresh or missing the odd one game or something like that...," said Hazlewood in the Royal Challengers Bengaluru podcast.
"...just, get home for a week and maximise that time and refresh and come back to the group. So, I think, not resting the whole series but picking and choosing your moments, I think that's the biggest (team) meeting we have, go through the calendar, see exactly what we want to play," the pacer, who will be integral to Australia's hopes in the upcoming Ashes along with Cummins and Mitchell Starc.
Hazlewood and Cummins will, however, miss the opening Test in Perth due to injuries.
The pacer said Australia has a very clear-cut policy, which gives players the freedom to choose their games.
"Obviously, all the Test matches are given... yeah, we can play two out of those three, or three out of the five or whatever it is, I mean often if there is a Test match round the corner, you have to build up anyway. So, I think it's possible (to play all formats) to a degree," he said.
Australia's specialist T20 batter, Tim David also felt that the experience gained by pacers like Hazlewood over the years helps them work their way around all formats.
David, who will don the RCB jersey in the upcoming IPL season said: "We are so lucky in Australian cricket that because these guys are fast bowlers, they are going for all the formats... they are so experienced, so they know what works for their bodies.
"They know what they're capable of doing, they don't have to have excessive prep to lead into a match, so for those guys to plan ahead that takes a lot of experience," said David, who has 68 T20I games under his belt.
The 29-year-old added that as a youngster it is more difficult to manage things because planning comes with years of experience.
"You can't just do that when you are young, you don't really know how things work. So, that helps massively with those (experienced) guys in planning. I think the track record of results (of bowlers like Hazlewood) shows that they're allowed to make their decisions, so..."
This report includes content sourced from Press Trust of India (PTI), edited for clarity and context.
