Former Australian cricketer Mitchell Johnson has criticised pacer Josh Hazlewood for choosing to participate in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 instead of focusing on preparing for the World Test Championship final. Hazlewood was instrumental in guiding RCB to their maiden IPL title after rejoining the franchise for the final leg of the tournament. Meanwhile, Johnson’s remarks follow Australia’s recent defeat in the World Test Championship (WTC) final against South Africa, where Hazlewood struggled and managed only two wickets.
"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 his column in West Australian.
Johnson further took aim at Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon.
"Our successful 'big four' bowling attack of Mitchell Starc, Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon can't be taken for granted as a lock going forward either. If veteran players are sticking around just for the Ashes as a send-off, it does beg the question of whether that's the right mindset. It's crucial that we embrace the future and build confidence in selecting our next Test players," added Johnson.