"I'm bowling probably the best over my career"- Josh Hazlewood issues warning to South Africa ahead of ICC WTC 2023-25 final

Josh Hazlewood is part of the Australia squad for the ICC WTC 2023-25 final.

Australia Cricket Team and South Africa Cricket Team are all set to collide in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 final. The summit clash will be played at Lord’s Cricket Ground in London from 11th June (Wednesday).

Pat Cummins is the skipper of Australia, while Temba Bavuma will be leading South Africa in the ICC WTC 2023-25 final. Both teams have announced their squads, and the players have also reached England to prepare for the battle.

Australia are the defending champion of the tournament as they defeated the Indian Cricket Team in the previous final, which took place in 2023. The Pat Cummins-led side missed the services of Josh Hazlewood in the last final due to injury, however, he is back this time to strengthen the team’s pace attack.

I feel in much better place this time – Josh Hazlewood

Ahead of the ICC WTC 2023-25 final, Josh Hazlewood has said that although he missed the previous final, but is in much better space this time. He also stated that he has bowled his best during the last two years in all formats.

“I was obviously quite close last time [in 2023]. I just had more of an interrupted IPL leading into that, and then had a few little issues going on, so wasn’t quite up to scratch, but I feel in much better place this time around”, the right-arm pacer said.

“And I think in any format, my numbers over the last two years have been pretty good, so have got a lot to fall back on in terms of skill wise. I still feel like I’m bowling probably the best over my career and it’s just a matter of the body holding up, which it has been in the last few months,” he further added.

Josh Hazlewood joined the Australian camp in England a little late as he was busy in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. He was part of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), which won the title. The fast bowler said, unlike IPL games, he would look to bowl fuller length in the ICC WTC 2023-25 final.

“In the IPL games, I was probably hitting around that seven-to nine-meters in the powerplay, and not really threatening the stumps as much as you want to in Test cricket, in particular here in England. So, it’ll just be about pushing that length and touch fuller and still getting that zip through the keeper,” the right-arm pacer added.

Hazlewood showed a wonderful form in IPL 2025, picking 22 wickets in 12 games at an average of 17.54. He was the top wicket-taker for RCB and the third highest overall. He last played a test match back in December 2024 against India.

After that, he was out of the action due to a calf injury. When IPL 2025 was suspended for around a week last month, he visited Australia to recover from the shoulder injury. However, he returned for the playoffs and bowled brilliant spells.

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