IPL is the strongest T20 competition in the world: Josh Hazlewood

Fast bowler Josh Hazlewood has said that missing Australian domestic cricket to play in the IPL should not be a big problem, because the IPL has moulded decent cricketers into “much better players”.

Josh Hazlewood, who was snapped up by the Chennai Super Kings ahead of the 2020 edition, said that the IPL is the strongest T20 competition in the world. He also added that choosing between domestic cricket and IPL is up to the individual.

“There are a few things to fall into place yet but the IPL is such a huge part of the year for a lot of players and probably the strongest T20 competition in the world, up there with the Big Bash, and you learn a lot about how to play your T20 cricket and how to play in those conditions,” Josh Hazlewood was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.

“You’ve seen guys come out of it much better players so there’s a lot of positives to it, so if that takes a few games off us playing for New South Wales in the build-up to the international summer that’s a tough call, (and) probably comes back to the individual," he added.

'IPL star Jofra Archer will learn from his mistakes'

Josh Hazlewood also gave his views on IPL star Jofra Archer breaching the bio-security protocols ahead of the second Test against West Indies. Archer underwent five days of isolation and was also tested for COVID-19.

Speaking on the incident, Josh Hazlewood said that Jofra Archer would learn from his mistakes and that such instances have happened in other sports as well.

"I think Jofra is one example and there’s been examples in the NRL and AFL as well. Just by hugging a mate in the crowd you miss a week,” said Hazlewood. “So we’ve got to keep those strict guidelines in place to get the sport to go ahead. So we’ll obviously learn from that mistake,” Josh Hazlewood said.