Josh Hazlewood cleared from fitness concerns but Abbott ruled out of Test
Josh Hazlewood has taken 295 wickets maintaining an average of 24.21 runs per wicket in 76 Tests
Josh Hazlewood has been cleared to join the Australian team for the initial Test against England after an injury scare, but fellow pace bowler Sean Abbott has been ruled out
Both suffered muscle problems while representing NSW in the Victoria clash during Sheffield Shield action recently
Tests indicated Hazlewood, 34 did not sustain muscle damage. Abbott, 33, who hasn't played Tests, suffered a "moderate grade" injury
Skipper Pat Cummins is unavailable for the opening Test, starting November 21, therefore missing of another experienced fast bowler in Hazlewood could have proven a serious concern
Abbott was doubtful to feature at the Perth match, with Hazlewood set to join fellow quicks Starc and Boland forming the fast bowling unit
The captain, rehabilitating from a back injury, appears to be likely to comeback during the next Test in Brisbane starting on 4 December
Batter Steve Smith will lead Australia during the captain's recovery
Like many of Aussie squad members, Hazlewood participated in ongoing fixtures of state games in preparation for the historic rivalry
Prior to recently, he had not played domestic first-class games for New South Wales for over twelve months
He noticed discomfort in his posterior chain during the final stages of the match recently exiting the play as a precaution
Both players came out to bat during their team's second batting effort as they lost by 300 runs
"We have one week from the Test series - always err on being cautious," said Cummins
"They wanted to find out what was happening before pushing it and possibly causing anything worse"
"It's rare to get him upbeat, making it encouraging to witness his smile"
"He understands his physique really well. He appeared a little bit worried (and desired professional evaluation"
Abbott earned 57 caps with the national team in ODI and T20 cricket
The yet-to-debut the pace bowler provides bowling backup within the team, offering support to Starc, Boland and Hazlewood
