The World Test Championship (WTC) Final is just a couple of days away, and the Australian team has already started gearing up for the game against South Africa, which will be played at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground. One of the big stars to watch out for will be Aussie ace pacer Josh Hazlewood, who has opened up about his new nickname given by Indian fans after his contribution to Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) maiden IPL trophy.
The 34-year-old speedster was the highest wicket-taker for the franchise and the joint third-highest wicket-taker overall, taking 22 wickets in the 12 games he played at an average of just 17.54. This resulted in the two-time World Cup winner earning the nickname ‘HazleGod’ from the RCB fans. However, though Hazlewood finds it flattering, he does not think the name will catch on in Australia.
“Yeah, hopefully, it runs out of steam pretty quickly. It’s flattering, obviously, to hear it around the grounds in India, but I don’t think it’ll take off in Australia,” said Hazlewood in a video posted on the official Instagram handle of the ICC.
Watch the viral video of Hazlewood and Australian teammates here:
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Aussie teammates react to Hazlewood’s nickname
Other Australian cricketers who gave their reactions to Hazlewood’s new nickname were Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon. While Starc laughed off the name and said he hopes it sticks, he also praised Hazlewood’s IPL heroics and expressed his eagerness to see him in action at Lord’s. On the other hand, Australia’s legendary spinner admitted that the nickname had taken him by surprise.
“Hopefully, it sticks because I don’t think he likes it too much. He’s had a fantastic few months, the big fella over in India, and he’s come home with bags of cash. So I look forward to seeing him in action here at Lord’s,” Starc said in the same video.
“HazleGod, he actually referred to himself as it the other day, which totally took me by surprise. Off the back of him winning the IPL, I think he’s running with it,” the WTC 2021–2023 winner, Lyon, said.
