Australia’s Josh Hazlewood has delivered one of the most devastating opening bowling spells in T20 history, picking up 2-1 in two overs.

Hazlewood, who was banished from the format after the 2016 T20 World Cup, got the Aussies off to a dream start against South Africa, picking up a wicket with his first ball.

And the damaging spell didn’t end there, with Hazlewood claiming prized South African scalp Quinton de Kock just six balls later.

De Kock (seven off 12) had tried to play a pool shot but the ball hit high on the bat, struck his thigh guard and ballooned into the air before landing back down on his stumps.

“What have you done?” commentator Dale Steyn said.

“What a horrible fate.”

De Kock’s dismissal left South Africa reeling at 3/23 after being sent in to bat in Saturday’s pool match.

Hazlewood conceded just one run in his two overs, leaving fans and commentators alike questioning why he was not selected in international T20 cricket for four years.

Many punters labelled Hazlewood the best in the world, and it’s hard to argue in 2021.

This year, Hazlewood has a strike rate of 14 and an average of 14.4, picking up 10 wickets in his past five games in T20 cricket.

Coach Justin Langer had put his faith in Australia’s pace attack by selecting Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and Mitch Starc in the same T20 side for the first time on Saturday night.

The decision meant Australia’s current top ranked T20 bowler Ashton Agar missed out in the T20 World Cup opener.

Hazlewood’s recent form is stark contrast to his 2016 T20 World Cup campaign where he picked up just one wicket in three matches before a more than four-year wait to represent Australia again at a T20 international.