Scott Boland Replaced by Josh Hazlewood in WTC Final
The decision to select Hazlewood over Boland has sparked interest, with Cummins emphasizing that Boland's consistency will be rewarded in the future. The Australian team's selection and strategy will be closely watched as they prepare to face South Africa in the WTC final.
Australian captain Pat Cummins has defended the selection of Josh Hazlewood over Scott Boland for the World Test Championship 2025 final against South Africa, stating that Boland has done nothing wrong and should stay consistent, with opportunities to come in the next couple of years.
Cummins emphasized that the message to Boland is that he's not running out of time and has a lot of Test cricket ahead of him. Boland has averaged under 18 in Test cricket, taking 21 wickets in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25, and 5 wickets in the WTC 2023 final against India. Hazlewood, who missed the WTC 2023 final due to injury, has been picked to play against South Africa, with Cummins highlighting the team's priority to defend the title.
The Australian team includes Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Cameron Green, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Beau Webster, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, and Josh Hazlewood. Marnus Labuschagne has been moved up the order to accommodate Cameron Green's return, while Hazlewood replaces Scott Boland in the bowling line-up.
Cummins stated that Test cricket is his favorite format, and the team is focused on defending their title. The World Test Championship 2025 final against South Africa is set to take place at Lord's, with the Australian team looking to retain their championship title.