Josh Hazlewood is an Australian international cricketer who plays for the team Australia. He is a tall pace bowler known for his accuracy and has been compared to former Australian paceman Glenn McGrath. Hazlewood currently ranks no. 1 in ODI, no. 7 in T20I and no. 15 in Test in the ICC Men's Player Rankings. He was a part of the Australian side that won both 2015 Cricket World Cup and 2021 ICC Men's T20 World Cup.
Josh Hazlewood was born on January 8, 1991, in Tamworth, New South Wales, Australia. He is the eldest of three children. His father, Trevor, is a former New South Wales cricketer and his mother, Lee, is a teacher. Hazlewood has a younger brother, Ben, and a younger sister, Jess.
Hazlewood began playing cricket at a young age and quickly showed promise as a fast bowler. He made his first-class debut for New South Wales in 2008 at the age of 17. In 2009, he was selected to play for Australia Under-19s in the World Cup, where he was the leading wicket-taker.
Hazlewood made his international debut for Australia in an ODI against England in Southampton in June 2010. He took his first ODI wicket on debut, dismissing Kevin Pietersen. Hazlewood made his Test debut against India in Brisbane in December 2014. He took five wickets on debut, including the wickets of Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara.
Hazlewood has played 74 ODIs for Australia, taking 114 wickets at an average of 26.51. He has taken five wickets in an innings on five occasions. His best ODI bowling figures are 6/52 against the West Indies in Perth in 2015.
Hazlewood has played 41 T20Is for Australia, taking 58 wickets at an average of 20.36. He has taken four wickets in an innings on three occasions. His best T20I bowling figures are 4/12 against England in Cardiff in 2018.
Hazlewood has played 63 Tests for Australia, taking 238 wickets at an average of 26.23. He has taken five wickets in an innings on eleven occasions and ten wickets in a match on one occasion. His best Test bowling figures are 6/67 against India in Adelaide in 2014.
Hazlewood has not yet captained Australia at any level.
Hazlewood has been involved in very few controversies during his career. In 2016, he was fined by the ICC for ball-tampering during a Test match against India. However, this was a relatively minor incident and Hazlewood has otherwise maintained a clean record.
Hazlewood is married to his childhood sweetheart, Jessica. They have a daughter together, Isla. Hazlewood is a private person and does not share much of his personal life with the public.
Josh Hazlewood is one of the best fast bowlers in the world. He is a consistent wicket-taker and is a valuable member of the Australian cricket team. He is also a great role model for young cricketers, both on and off the field.