Hazlewood cleared from injury but Sean Abbott ruled out of Ashes Test

Josh Hazlewood has been cleared to link up with the Aussie lineup for the initial Test against England following fitness concerns, however, teammate Sean Abbott will miss the match

Both suffered hamstring issues during their match for their state team in the Victoria clash in domestic cricket this past Wednesday

Tests indicated Hazlewood, 34 did not sustain a muscle strain. The uncapped Abbott, 33, suffered a significant hamstring issue

Team captain Cummins is unavailable for the first Test, commencing later this month, so the loss of another experienced fast bowler like Hazlewood would have been a serious concern

Abbott would have been doubtful to feature in Perth, as Hazlewood prepares to team up fellow quicks Starc and Boland as the specialist seamers

Cummins, who is recovering from spinal concerns, is expected to be likely to comeback during the next Test in Brisbane starting on 4 December

Top-order player Smith takes over leadership during the captain's recovery

Similar to most Australian cricketers, the bowler took part in recent matches of state games in preparation for the Ashes

Before this week, he had not played domestic first-class games with his state team for over twelve months

He experienced stiffness in his posterior chain near the conclusion of the match on Wednesday and left the field for safety reasons

Neither Hazlewood nor Abbott participated in batting for their team's second batting effort in a losing cause by three hundred runs

"We have one week until the Test matches - typically prefer precautionary measures," stated the captain

"The medical staff sought to identify the exact situation before pushing it and possibly causing anything worse"

"He seldom shows him upbeat, so it was good to witness his smile"

"He understands his physique thoroughly. It seemed he felt slightly anxious (and desired medical assessment"

Abbott has won 57 appearances for Australia in white-ball cricket

Without Test experience Doggett provides bowling backup in the squad, providing cover for Starc, Boland and Hazlewood