Nine days before the first Ashes Test in Perth, Australia, have suffered another setback, with pacer Sean Abbott ruled out of the opening match due to a moderate-grade hamstring injury.

The news comes as a blow to the hosts, who are already dealing with fitness concerns in their pace department. Fellow fast bowler Josh Hazlewood also experienced tightness in his right hamstring during the ongoing Sheffield Shield season, but precautionary scans have cleared him of any muscle strain.

Advertisement

Both bowlers were participating in domestic matches to fine-tune their preparation for the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) series opener, scheduled to begin on November 21 in Perth.

Abbott’s injury adds to Australia’s growing list of absentees, with regular skipper Pat Cummins already ruled

See Full Page