Hazlewood laments an Ashes dilemma

Josh Hazlewood has conceded he's unlikely to gain meaningful experience in the England conditions that proved so foreign to him during last year's failed UK campaign before Australia returns there in 2019 for an epic World Cup-Ashes double.

Hazlewood has admitted he struggled with the intensity and schedule of Australia's unsuccessful 2015 Ashes tour and found the English-made Dukes ball difficult to control in UK conditions, which ultimately led to him being rested from last year's final Test at The Oval.

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And his fellow Test quick Mitchell Johnson has admitted that the burden of responsibility heaped upon the inexperienced Hazlewood coupled with his own deployment as a first-change bowler played an integral part in Australia's unexpected 3-2 series defeat.

But Hazlewood acknowledges that a lack of opportunities that a relentless playing schedule offers to players competing in all three international formats (Test, ODI and T20) to play domestic cricket means he's unlikely to be reacquainted with the Dukes ball in England until the 2019 northern summer.

When he is expected to be a vital cog in Australia's dual aspirations to defend the World Cup title they won last year and then secure their first Ashes series win on British soil since 2001.

The 25-year-old was chosen to share the new ball with Mitchell Starc in the first four Ashes Tests last year, with Johnson then brought into the attack once the initial shine was removed.

However, the ploy proved unsuccessful with Johnson revealing his effectiveness was reduced because he struggled to embrace his new role while Hazlewood battled for confidence and control even though he netted 16 wickets at 25.75 (compared to Johnson's 15 at 34.93).

"I'd love to if time permits," Hazlewood said when asked during the current ODI tri-series in the Caribbean if he was keen to gain further red-ball experience in the UK county competition ahead of the 2019 Ashes.

"But the cricket is so full-on playing for Australia in three formats, there's not much time to really do anything.

"It's obviously worked for people in the past to get some experience in those conditions with the ball.

"If the opportunity presents itself then I'd jump at it but at this stage, it's pretty full-on."

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Among the "people" Hazlewood refers to are incumbent Test seamer Jackson Bird and Peter Siddle, who took Hazlewood's place in the starting XI for last year's fifth Ashes Test but has since been sidelined with injury, with both bowlers having gained extensive county experience.

However, neither Bird nor Siddle have been part of Australia's limited-overs plans for more than five years so have been able to take advantage of sizeable gaps in their international playing schedules to ply their trade in Britain.

As a regular member of Australia's ODI and T20 International squads, in addition to the need to manage his workload across all three forms, Hazlewood will find it virtually impossible to find a window in his commitments over coming years to play in England.

His best chances for gaining vital experience on seaming pitches and under heavy cloud are likely to come during next year's ICC Champions Trophy ODI tournament and a series of limited-overs internationals loosely scheduled against England in June, 2018.

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But they will feature the heavily lacquered white ball and add little to Hazlewood's ambition of better controlling the red Dukes ball used in first-class matches.

And Hazlewood is also expected to be on international duty in the second half of the coming Australian summer when Dukes balls may be trialled in the Sheffield Shield competition to try and better prepare players to cope with their vagaries.

Johnson, who retired from Test cricket during the second Test of last summer's home series against New Zealand that immediately followed the Ashes loss, believes that too much was expected of Hazlewood in England.

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The 34-year-old told cricket.com.au that while Hazlewood had established himself as one of Test cricket's brightest prospects by capturing 24 wickets at less than 20 runs apiece in his five appearances prior to the Ashes, the scrutiny and expectation of tackling England at home is another step up altogether.

And Johnson admits the effect that had on Hazlewood's performances, as well as Australia's decision to change the 'shock' role that Johnson had played so devastatingly in the 2013-14 Ashes whitewash and use him instead as a first-change seamer, proved pivotal in the final result.

"I probably just lost focus of my role a little bit," Johnson said recently in reflecting on the Ashes loss.

"I think we probably put a bit too much pressure on Joshy Hazlewood, being his first time over there (in the UK).

"What he'd been doing in his first season of international cricket had been amazing (and there was) a lot of talk about him, but it's a different pressure when you're over there.

"And I felt like I tried to adapt my game around the team a bit.

"Then to come back to Australia, I just felt like I didn't know what to do."