Player Profile: Josh Hazlewood

Finally, we are set to leave the country of South Africa. With the incredible talents on display1 there, it is clear that we are simply gearing for more things to come in other countries. The next player is from Australian and is currently one of the top guns as far as the ICC rankings are concerned. Ever met a bowler which is incredibly tall and yet so precise. If you have, then you probably met Josh Hazlewood who plays for Australia.What are the strengths of this player and what has he achieved throughout his career?

Who is Hazlewood?

Born in 1991 in Australia, one of the few things which stands out when you met him for the first time would surely be how tall he is. He currently stands at about 6 feet and five inches. This makes him one of the tallest cricket players or bowlers around. He is also known to be very accurate when it comes to bowling. Because of these strengths, he is often compared to some of the greatest players who played for his country. One of the notable comparisons would be the great player Glenn McGrath

Hazlewood’s love for sports did not start recently. It can be traced all the way back to when he was just a child playing at the age of 12. This was the age when he made the first move to play for the Tamworth. The fascinating thing about this story was that he was having to face adults, people who were much older than him.

At the age of 17, he was finally selected to play for the New South Wales which was an incredible achievement to have by that age. In fact, that singular achievement meant that in the entire state, he played his debut as the youngest ever paceman.

In 2008, he had the chance to make his debut in the first-class match against New Zealand. The records also continued as he also became the youngest player in his country when he made his ODI debut in 2010 when he played for Australia.

What has he achieved?

For many players, playing for the international team was just a dream come true. However, for this player, it was a dream which came through at such an early age. However, the achievements have not stopped in recent times. In 2016, he tops the rankings for bowlers that played that year. This was majorly down to the impact which he probably had in the Champions Trophy. In that tournament alone, the bowler played about nine wickets altogether. That score ensures that he was given the man of the match awards for his efforts.

Conclusion

One of the things which people marvel at would surely be achieving things at a very young age. However, this is what Hazlewood has achieved to devastating effects. He would never have imagined that he would be able to do this when he played football at 10 with his brother at home. It is an amazing feat.