Fast bowler Josh Hazlewood will miss Australia’s early matches in the T20 World Cup due to hamstring and Achilles injuries, dealing the team another setback ahead of the tournament.

The 35-year-old hasn’t played since November and was absent throughout the Ashes series against England. He is currently undergoing rehabilitation in Sydney.

Australia has already arrived in co-host Sri Lanka for the World Cup. Another pacer, Sean Abbott, has been included as a reserve.

In a statement on Monday, selector Tony Dodemaide said, “We felt it would be more effective for Hazlewood to continue his rehabilitation in familiar conditions before heading to Sri Lanka.”

No timeline has been given for Hazlewood’s return, and it remains uncertain whether he will feature in the World Cup at all. If he doesn’t, it will be a major blow for Australia, as all three of their main pacers—Pat Cummins, Hazlewood, and Mitchell Starc—would not be available together. Cummins has already been ruled out of the T20 World Cup due to injury, while Starc had retired from the format earlier.

Australia’s team form has also been under pressure. They lost the recent T20 series against Pakistan 3–0, including a record 111-run defeat in the final match—their biggest loss by runs in T20 cricket. Key players Nathan Ellis, Glenn Maxwell, and Tim David did not play in Pakistan but are expected to join the squad in Sri Lanka.

Australia will play all their Group B matches in Sri Lanka, starting their World Cup campaign against Ireland in Colombo on February 11. Their other group opponents are Sri Lanka, Oman, and Zimbabwe.