Overview
- Cricket Australia said follow-up imaging confirmed Josh Hazlewood’s hamstring strain, ruling him out of the first Test and keeping him from traveling to Perth.
- Michael Neser has been added to Australia’s squad, Sean Abbott is also out with a hamstring injury, and Brendan Doggett is in contention for a debut.
- Pat Cummins remains unavailable as he recovers from a back injury, leaving Starc and Boland as the frontline quicks for the series opener.
- The ECB confirmed Mark Wood’s precautionary scans showed no hamstring damage and he will continue training after sitting out the final day of the Lilac Hill warm-up.
- England have not decided on selecting Wood for November 21, with his recent knee surgery and only eight warm-up overs informing a cautious approach.