Australian bowler Josh Hazlewood pranked by cricket fan's autograph scheme

The Barmy Army may be fewer in number this summer, but their trademark sense of humour remains just as strong.

As England's batters capitulated at the Gabba on Saturday morning, Australian seamer Josh Hazlewood was signing autographs near the boundary rope between deliveries.

The cricketers were unable to interact with spectators for the majority of last season because of Covid-19 restrictions, but those protocols have been relaxed, for the most part.

On day four of the Brisbane Test, a member of the Barmy Army secured the signature of Hazlewood — but what the 30-year-old didn't see was the hidden text at the bottom of the paper.

It read: "I Joshua 'Joshie' Hazlewood do solemnly swear that I knew it was sandpaper."

Hazlewood was one the four bowlers who featured in the infamous Cape Town Test match of 2018, where Cameron Bancroft was caught rubbing sandpaper on the match ball.

Bancroft, David Warner and Steve Smith each copped lengthy bans for their involvement in the ball-tampering scheme, while the bowling quartet of Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon were not reprimanded following the incident.

Earlier this year, Bancroft hinted the Australian bowlers were aware of the Newlands ball-tampering plot.

"Yeah, obviously what I did benefits bowlers and the awareness around that, probably, is self-explanatory," he told The Guardian.

In response, the Australian bowlers released an emotional statement denying any knowledge of ball-tampering.

"We did not know a foreign substance was taken onto the field to alter the condition of the ball until we saw the images on the big screen at Newlands," the statement read.

Speaking on Fox Sports' The Back Page in June 2018, Hazlewood reiterated he had no prior knowledge of the ball-tampering scheme.

"No, no," he responded when asked if he was aware of the plan.

"We obviously have ball maintenance people in the team, usually batsmen because they're in the circle and the bowlers field fine leg, deep square — where ever it is. They just look after the ball from time to time. As soon as it stops swinging normal, then it starts to reverse swing.

"We pretty much get it [the ball] at the stop of our mark, one second before we start running in. So we have a quick look, see which side's a bit worn."

There were concerns surrounding Hazlewood's fitness at the Gabba after the seamer did not bowl in the final 41 overs of day three.

Hazlewood has dismissed Joe Root on eight occasions in Test cricket, more than any other bowler in the game's longest format, yet only bowled 11 deliveries at the England captain on Friday.

But after stumps, Australian teammate Marnus Labuschagne assured reporters the 30-year-old was "fine".

"We're just making sure we prepare really well," he explained.

"We know that there's some times at the Gabba where there's not as many wickets that fall and we've just got to hold in that period and make sure we rotate our bowlers well so we've got someone fresh."

Hazlewood returned to the attack on Saturday morning, where he claimed the crucial scalp of England wicketkeeper Jos Buttler for 23.