Australia’s fast bowler Josh Hazlewood had decided to play the IPL final before joining his team a few days before the World Test Championship Final 2025 and many former cricketers also criticized his decision. Mitchell Johnson was also one of them. After Australia’s defeat in the final of the World Test Championship at the hands of South Africa, Johnson targeted Hazelwood and alleged that he was giving priority to the Indian Premier League instead of Test cricket.
Now Hazlewood has also retaliated at Johnson’s statement. Johnson’s comment came after playing IPL 2025 for Hazlewood’s Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). The final of IPL 2025 was played on June 3 and the WTC final was only one and a half weeks away. Hazelwood took only 2 wickets in the WTC final, which angered the former fast bowler.
Johnson wrote in The West Australian, “We have seen concerns about Hazlewood’s fitness in recent years and his decision to prioritize the return to the Indian Premier League delayed compared to the national team’s preparations shocked the people.”
Hazlewood responded to Johnson’s statement before the Test series against the West Indies. When asked about Johnson’s column, Hazelwood told Sydney Morning Herald, “Honestly, I have not seen anything like this. We know what is going on inside our rooms. It seemed the best place to be ready for any kind of cricket.
He said while speaking further. “Sydney was raining and I really had no place to bowl. I went to Brisbane for three or four days and there was a lot of rain. We were lucky that we reached there. I felt that India is the best place to bowl. We were still in the competition, we were going to play the semi -finals and I was to live there for 10 days. I think it was the best option.”
