Australian Josh Hazlewood will miss the first half of the T20 World Cup

“I met Josh a couple of days ago and he’s working hard. I really feel for him, he’s had some setbacks,” Cummins told Australia’s Nine Network radio.

“He’s giving everything he can. I don’t think he’ll be there at the start of the tournament, but he’s trying his best to be there about halfway through.”

Squad members Glenn Maxwell, Nathan Ellis and Tim David, who missed Australia’s recent tour of Pakistan, are set to join the squad in Sri Lanka this week ahead of a friendly match against the Netherlands on Thursday.

However, Hazlewood remained in Sydney, with selector Tony Dudemide saying it was “more practical and beneficial for him to continue his rehabilitation at home”.

Hazlewood has taken 79 wickets at an economy of 7.47 in 60 T20s for Australia, including figures of 3-16 in their 2021 T20 World Cup final win over New Zealand.

Meanwhile, Cummins said he suffered a “minor setback” in his recovery from a lumbar bone strain in his lower back.

The injury first flared up on Australia’s Test tour of the West Indies in July and limited him to one appearance during the Ashes.

Cummins, who was replaced in the T20 World Cup squad by Ben Dwarshuis, is hoping to return to action for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League, which starts on March 26.

“We wanted to give the back a bit of a break to make sure it’s suitable for what the rest of the year will be like – I should be right out in a few weeks’ time,” Cummins said.