Andy Flower, the newly hired head coach of Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), has revealed that it was difficult to let go of Josh Hazlewood ahead of the IPL 2024 auction. Flower stated that the organization decided to release the right-arm seamer since he would be unavailable for the first half of the forthcoming season.
Despite his new-ball skill, Josh Hazlewood was let go on the teams’ Sunday release and retention list. The Australian joined the Bangalore-based club before of the 2022 season, but due to an injury, he only played three matches this year.
Flower stated that Josh Hazlewood will be absent for the first part of the IPL 2024 season since he is expecting a child at the end of March. According to nine.com.au, the former Zimbabwe captain stated:
“I’ve just come off the phone with Josh. He, very pleasingly, has a baby on the way, due at the end of March. So Josh won’t be with us, certainly not for the first half of the season. It’s a tricky thing releasing players. We respect them, we value what they’ve given to the team. These decisions are important and they affect people’s careers and I think Mo and I take that responsibility really seriously. We’ve given good debate time and thought to those decisions.”
Andy Flower
The RCB still has a chance to repurchase the Australian seamer in the auction. In the franchise’s 2022 super auction, he fetched a stunning 7.75 crore.
Josh Hazlewood key role in Australia’s 2023 World Cup win
Josh Hazlewood was instrumental in Australia’s sixth ODI World Cup victory. The seamer appeared in all 11 matches and took 16 wickets, including two crucial scalps in the final against India in Ahmedabad.
The Australians pace trio, led by Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc, and Pat Cummins, held India to 240 runs in 50 overs. Travis Head then smashed 137 to lead his team to a six-wicket triumph.
