Josh Hazlewood cleared from injury but Abbott out of Test

The green light was given to Hazlewood to become part of the Australian team for the initial Test against England after an injury scare, but fellow pace bowler the paceman is unavailable

Both suffered hamstring injuries playing for NSW versus Victoria during Sheffield Shield action recently

Medical examinations revealed the 34-year-old Hazlewood did not sustain tissue injury. Abbott, 33, who hasn't played Tests, suffered a moderate-level injury

Captain Pat Cummins is unavailable for the opening Test, starting November 21, therefore missing of another established pace bowler in Hazlewood could have proven a serious concern

The bowler stood doubtful to feature at the Perth match, with Hazlewood set to join fellow quicks Starc and Boland as the primary pace attack

The captain, rehabilitating from spinal concerns, is thought to be on track to return for the Brisbane match commencing December fourth

Batsman Steve Smith will lead Australia while Cummins is out

Following other Australian cricketers, Hazlewood is involved in ongoing fixtures of Sheffield Shield matches in preparation for the Ashes

Until this match, he hadn't featured a first-class match for New South Wales in more than a year

He experienced stiffness in his posterior chain towards the end of the match during the match exiting the play as a precaution

Neither Hazlewood nor Abbott participated in batting for their team's second batting effort during their defeat by three hundred runs

"We're a week away before the international cricket - we consistently choose being cautious," commented Cummins

"They wanted to find out the exact situation prior to testing it and potentially making the condition"

"He seldom shows him cheerful, therefore it was positive to witness his smile"

"He's aware of his condition thoroughly. I think he was slightly anxious (and) wanted to get medical assessment"

Abbott earned 57 caps with the national team in white-ball cricket

The yet-to-debut Doggett provides bowling backup within the team, providing cover for Starc, Boland and Hazlewood