Injured Test vice-captain Josh Hazlewood is "very confident" he will be fit for this year's World Cup and Ashes series.
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The fast bowler's assurance his problematic back - which sidelined him from the home series defeat of Sri Lanka and the Aussies' current white-ball tour of India - came a day after cricket.com.au reported that Australia's chairman of selectors, Trevor Johns, had said there was no indication when Hazlewood would return.
But speaking on Saturday after a successful non-bowling stint with his childhood club, Old Boys, at No.1 Oval, Hazlewood said he would return to Sydney on Sunday for further rehab and would start bowling again "in probably a couple of weeks".
"So, just a slow build up through late March and into April," he said.
"We've [Australia] got a couple of warm-up games in May in Brisbane before the World Cup, and then full steam ahead to England.
"So, a couple big tours coming up … Yeah, very confident [of playing in the World Cup and Ashes]. I've done the [rehabilitation] time now. It's been just over two months, and add another six weeks on to that and I'll be all good to go."
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After Australia's home-series loss to India last summer, scans revealed Hazlewood had an early-stage stress fracture in the same lower-back area as his previous injury from the previous summer.
The World Cup will be staged in England and Wales from May 30 to July 14, and is followed by the Ashes in England.
In 44 Tests, Hazlewood has taken 164 wickets at an average of 27.14.
At No.1 Oval on Saturday, Hazlewood was caught behind on 39 after adding eight runs to his score from the previous weekend. He also took his fourth sharp first-slip catch of the match, as minor premiers Old Boys beat City United outright.
The finals begin this weekend.
