Josh Hazlewood, the Australian pacer, is set to be ruled out from the Sri Lanka tour due to injury. Hazlewood had to miss three Tests in the Border Gavaskar Trophy due to his side strain and calf injury. Australia will play two Tests against South Africa, with the first one starting on January 29. Following the Test series, they will be playing a one-off ODI on February 13. The Australian captain Pat Cummins is also expected to miss the tour as his wife Becky Boston is going to give birth to their second child. For that, Steve Smith or Travis Head may lead the team against Sri Lanka. Australia has a packed schedule in 2025. The Sri Lanka Series is followed by the World Test Championship final, scheduled in June, at the Lords Cricket Ground, England. Australia will then host England for the highly anticipated Ashes. The first Test will start in late November in Brisbane, with the final one in January in Sydney. If Hazlewood misses the Sri Lanka tour, he will have enough time to recover before the WTC final. Read also: BCCI Official: Rohit's Test Future Depends on Selectors' Call Australia battling pain and injuries Nathan Lyon is undergoing a hip issue, but Cricket Australia is expecting him to fit for the Sri Lanka Test. In 2023, in the Galle Test, he took a total of nine wickets and is expected to play a crucial role in the upcoming series as well. With Hazlewood leaving, Mitchell Starc will be left alone from the formidable trio. However, Starc also seemed to suffer from back pain during the BGT; however, no confirmations have been done on his part. Scott Boland, who had a great run against India, will partner Starc in the pace attack. Apart from that, Jhye Richardson, Sean Abbott, and Michael Neser can be some of the additional options for them. Notably, the final squad will be declared by Thursday.