Cup absentee Hazlewood set to 'explode'

With the disappointment of being overlooked for the World Cup behind him, a fit and firing Josh Hazlewood is set to "explode" when Australia A's tour of England starts this week.

That's the assessment of Test incumbent and Hazlewood’s long-time teammate Kurtis Patterson, who endured a series of torrid net sessions against Hazlewood in Brisbane last week before the pair flew to the UK for the start of Australia A's tour of the UK. 

"Big 'Joshy' is really hungry at the moment. It's really good to see," Patterson told cricket.com.au after the A squad's training session at Loughborough University on Monday.

"Personally, I think his rhythm is as good as it's ever been.

"I think he's going to really explode for these first few one-dayers and when he gets that Dukes ball in his hand, it's going to be really exciting to see."

Hazlewood hasn't played a competitive match since the New Year's Test against India in January, after which he succumbed to a back injury.

His subsequent time out of the game and a lack of match practice was behind him initially missing out on Australia’s World Cup squad, and then again when Kane Richardson replaced Jhye Richardson on the eve of the team departing for Europe.

Hazlewood said last month he was "bitterly disappointed" to miss out and has revealed he’s tried to avoid watching the tournament and instead narrow his focus on the A tour.

The right-armer should have little problem avoiding Australia's next World Cup match; their clash against Bangladesh in Nottingham on Thursday will coincide with the A side's game against Northamptonshire, the first of five 50-over matches for the A squad. Three four-day first-class matches follow the white-ball leg of the six-week tour.

The match in Northampton will be Hazlewood’s first in six months, and the first since March for Patterson, who finished the domestic season with NSW as Australia's incumbent Test No.6.

The left-hander made his Test debut against Sri Lanka in Brisbane, where he took a blinding catch at gully, before recording his maiden Test century in the following match in Canberra.

With an Ashes series less than two months away, Patterson could be excused for focusing on the first Test against England at Edgbaston on August 1.

But the 26-year-old says his sights are set firmly on the here and now, starting with Thursday's tour opener.

"Looking back on it (international debut), it was a great summer for me and my family and all my close supporters, being able to play for Australia," Patterson said.

"I guess it's one of those odd ones, you just want more.

"I'm really motivated to keep doing what I need to do to be there playing for Australia and win games for Australia A to start."

Australia A tour of the UK

Get live scores and all the latest news from Australia A's tour of the UK on cricket.com.au and the CA Live app

Australia A one-day squad: Travis Head (c), Matthew Wade, Will Pucovski, Peter Handscomb, Mitch Marsh (vc), D'Arcy Short, Kurtis Patterson, Ashton Agar, Michael Neser, James Pattinson, Josh Hazlewood (vc), Sean Abbott, Andrew Tye

Australia A four-day squad: Tim Paine (c), Marcus Harris, Kurtis Patterson, Will Pucovski, Travis Head (vc), Peter Handscomb, Matthew Wade, Mitch Marsh, Michael Neser, Jon Holland, James Pattinson, Jackson Bird, Josh Hazlewood (vc), Chris Tremain

One-day fixtures:

June 20: Australia A v Northamptonshire, The County Ground, Northamptonshire

June 23: Australia A v Derbyshire, County Ground, Derby

June 25: Australia A v Worcestershire, New Road, Worcester

June 30: Australia A v Gloucestershire, Bristol Country Ground, Bristol

July 2: Australia A v Gloucestershire, Bristol Country Ground, Bristol

Four-day fixtures:

July 7-10: Australia A v Sussex, Arundel Castle Cricket Ground, Arundel

July 13-16: Australia A v England Lions, The Spitfire Ground, Canterbury

July 23-26: Australia v Australia A, Ageas Bowl, Hampshire