Josh Hazlewood Builds Dream T20 Bowler, Snubs Mumbai Indians Legend

Josh Hazlewood, the metronomic Australian pacer currently spearheading Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) defense of their IPL title, recently shared his vision of the ultimate T20 fast bowler. In a fascinating exercise with Cricbuzz, Hazlewood pieced together the best traits from global stars, resulting in a formidable prototype that heavily featured Indian talent.

Indian Pace for Raw Speed

When it came to the primary requirement of raw speed, Hazlewood looked past traditional powerhouses like Jofra Archer or Mark Wood. Instead, he highlighted the emerging Indian speed guns, specifically naming LSG's Mayank Yadav and KKR's Kartik Tyagi. Interestingly, he also acknowledged that Ashok Sharma has been the quickest in the current IPL edition, though the youngster missed out on his final selection.

The 'Aura' and Variations of Jasprit Bumrah

Jasprit Bumrah was the only player Hazlewood selected twice. He picked the Mumbai Indians spearhead for his deceptive variations and also for the intangible 'aura' he brings to the field. "Bumrah enjoys a great deal of fame and hype as a fast bowler, and for good reason," Hazlewood noted, emphasizing the psychological advantage Bumrah holds over batters.

The Snub: Malinga for Yorkers

In perhaps the most surprising move, Hazlewood omitted Mumbai Indians legend Lasith Malinga when discussing the best yorkers. Instead, he chose Bhuvneshwar Kumar for his precision at the death. For length control, he bypassed his own renowned accuracy to pick teammate Pat Cummins and South African star Kagiso Rabada. When asked about 'game awareness,' the Australian pacer jokingly picked himself, while acknowledging that the modern fast bowler is becoming increasingly astute to playing conditions.