Josh Hazlewood faced criticism after taking only two wickets in Australia’s loss to South Africa in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final. The Australian fast bowler responded to a harsh critique from former pacer Mitchell Johnson. Johnson had accused Josh Hazlewood of prioritizing the Indian Premier League (IPL) over Test cricket following Australia’s heavy defeat in the WTC 2023-2025 final.
Johnson’s comments came while Josh Hazlewood was playing for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in IPL 2025, which concluded on June 3—just about a week before the WTC final. In that final, Hazlewood managed only two wickets, which drew sharp criticism from Johnson.
“Our successful ‘big four’ bowling attack of Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins, and Nathan Lyon cannot be taken for granted going forward,” Johnson wrote in The West Australian.
He added, “Concerns about Hazlewood’s fitness have surfaced in recent years, and his choice to prioritize the delayed IPL over national team preparations raised some eyebrows. Lyon also didn’t look his best on day three.”
Despite the criticism, Hazlewood took 22 wickets for RCB during IPL 2025 and played a key role in helping the Rajat Patidar-led side secure their first-ever IPL title.
Josh Hazlewood Responds to Mitchell Johnson’s Criticism Over Choosing IPL Over WTC Final Practice
Josh Hazlewood addressed Mitchell Johnson’s recent criticism regarding his decision to play in the IPL instead of focusing solely on practice for the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 final.
Josh Hazlewood explained why the IPL was the best preparation he could have asked for ahead of the WTC final at Lord’s in London.
“To be honest, I haven’t really paid attention to those comments. We know what’s going on in our own camp. Playing in the IPL seemed like the best way to prepare for any kind of cricket coming up. The weather also played a big part. Just being out there in such a competitive environment is something you can’t really replicate in training,” Hazlewood told the Sydney Morning Herald.
He went on to reveal that during his time in Australia, persistent rain meant he had very limited opportunity to bowl and practice for the final. That’s why he chose to return to India and join the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) squad for practice.
“In Sydney, it was raining constantly and I literally had nowhere to bowl. When I got to Brisbane for a few days, conditions were still very wet and we were lucky to get any practice at all. I felt the best place to bowl and prepare was India. Since RCB was still in the tournament and I was going to be there for 10 days, it was by far the best option,” the fast bowler concluded.