Josh Hazlewood defends IPL participation following Mitchell Johnson's criticism

Josh Hazlewood defends IPL participation following Mitchell Johnson's criticism
23 Jun 2025

Australian fast bowler Josh Hazlewood has hit back at former cricketer Mitchell Johnson's criticism of his decision to play for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) instead of preparing for the ICC World Test Championship final.

The debate was sparked after Australia's defeat against South Africa in the WTC final, with Johnson questioning Hazlewood's commitment to national team preparations.

Johnson's column on Hazlewood
Criticism details

In his column for The West Australian, Johnson wrote, "We've seen concerns about Hazlewood's fitness in recent years, and his decision to prioritize returning to the delayed Indian Premier League over his national team preparations raised eyebrows."

He also questioned the mindset of senior Australian players who may be staying on just for an Ashes farewell later this year.

Hazlewood defends his decision
Defense

Responding to Johnson's criticism, Hazlewood defended his decision to play in the IPL as part of his preparations for the WTC final. He cited inclement weather back home as a reason for his choice.

"I haven't seen any of that (Johnson's criticism), to be honest," Hazlewood told Sydney Morning Herald.

"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."

'Thought India was best place to bowl'
Match conditions

Hazlewood stressed the significance of playing in 'intense' match conditions, which are hard to replicate in training.

He 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."

The fast bowler also noted that he thought India was the best place to bowl as RCB were still in the competition with a chance at playoffs.

RCB eventually won the title.

Hazlewood's performance in IPL 2025 and WTC final
Performance

In 12 matches, Hazlewood claimed 22 scalps at an average of 17.54 to finish as the third-highest run-getter of IPL 2025.

He even missed a few games due to fitness issues.

Notably, Hazlewood had headed back in the wake of the India-Pakistan cross-border tensions.

He returned to play with the IPL's resumption and the same earned him criticism.

Meanwhile, he could manage only a couple of wickets in the WTC final at Lord's.