Josh Hazlewood responds to Mitchell Johnson's dig over prioritising IPL

Mitchell Johnson launched a scathing attack on the Australian pace order following the defeat in the 2025 WTC Final. The defending champions lost the coveted Test Mace to South Africa, who rode on the century of Aiden Markram to beat the Kangaroos by 5 wickets. Despite a 7-wicket haul by captain Pat Cummins in the first innings, the momentum slipped out of Australia's grasp as Markram and Temba Bavuma set up the winning partnership in the final chase. While the team remained sporting of the result, and Pat Cummins talked about a fresh start with the new WTC Cycle, Johnson pointed out the flaws. 

Mitchell Johnson took aim at Josh Hazlewood for prioritising IPL 2025 over his preparation for WTC Final

The former Australian speedster, Mitchell Johnson, expressed significant disdain against Australian pacers for losing the WTC Final. The lethal pacer of his time, Johnson directed the Australian management to look at the future and work on gradually phasing out the seniors like Mitchell Starc and spinner Nathan Lyon. Moreover, moving to Josh Hazlewood, Johnson accused the speedster of prioritising the IPL over his national commitment.

IPL 2025 endured a week-long suspension in May, forced by the escalating conflict between India and Pakistan. While the season restarted after a little over a week, the delay disturbed the set schedule. Some of the foreign picks, including Hazlewood's compatriot Mitchell Starc, opted against returning to India for the resumption. Despite being the highest wicket-taker for his team and Delhi Capitals having a chance at playoff qualification, Starc chose to prepare for the WTC Final at home rather than return to India.

Josh Hazlewood, meanwhile, delayed his return due to a shoulder injury, missing the remainder of the league stage for Royal Challengers Bengaluru. However, the Australian returned in time for the IPL 2025 playoffs, where RCB beat PBKS to enter the finals. Moreover, Hazlewood became a crucial part of RCB's historic victory, where the team beat Punjab Kings in the final to pick up its maiden IPL title after a wait of 18 years. With the tournament ending on June 3rd, Hazlewood joined the preparation for the WTC Final at Lord's a bit later than originally scheduled.

Australia's 5-wicket loss to South Africa in the WTC Final, meanwhile, presented a chance for Mitchell Johnson to bring the IPL into the discussion. The former pacer questioned Hazlewood's priority, especially with concerns over his fitness being a near constant in his career. Hazlewood had a meek outing at Lord's, picking just two wickets across both innings as his team lost the Test Mace to the Proteas.

“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,” Johnson wrote in a column.

Hazlewood reacts to Johnson's criticism ahead of the Test series against West Indies

Now, before Australia kicks off the new WTC Cycle against West Indies, Josh Hazlewood has finally addressed the aspersions cast by Johnson. The Kangaroo suggested that he was not aware of the discussion around his IPL preparation. However, responding to Johnson's concerns, Hazlewood clarified that playing the IPL was possibly the best preparation he got for the WTC Final. The seasoned speedster talked about the weather conditions in India, drawing a comparison with Sydney and highlighting the chance he got to practice for the summit clash. 

"I haven’t seen any of that, to be honest. We know what’s going on inside our rooms. It seemed far and away the best place to get ready for any type of cricket that was coming up. The weather was definitely a factor as well. Just getting over there and playing intense competition like that, it’s hard to replicate in training," Hazlewood said.

"Sydney, it was raining, and I had literally nowhere to bowl. I got to Brisbane for three or four days, and it was very wet. We were lucky to get on. I just thought the best place to bowl was India. We were still in the competition, we were going to play the semis, and I was going to be there for 10 days. I think it was comfortably the best option," he added.

Australia’s opening Test against the West Indies is scheduled to get underway on June 25, with Barbados set to host the match. The touring side will head into the contest without two of their senior batters, Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne. Smith misses out due to a finger injury he sustained while attempting a catch during the WTC Final. Labuschagne, on the other hand, has been left out of the squad following a string of underwhelming performances with the bat.