Overview
- Cricket Australia said follow‑up imaging confirmed Josh Hazlewood’s hamstring strain and he will not travel to Perth for the Nov. 21 Test.
- With Pat Cummins (back) and Sean Abbott also unavailable, Australia’s pace stocks are stretched and Michael Neser has been added to the squad.
- Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland are set to lead the attack, with uncapped Brendan Doggett reported to be in line for a debut in Perth.
- Steve Smith will captain Australia in Cummins’s absence for the series opener at Optus Stadium.
- The ECB said Mark Wood was cleared of left‑hamstring damage; he skipped bowling on the warm‑up’s final day and will continue training next week.