Ashton Agar has become the latest player from the Australian camp to head home midway through the ongoing four-match Test series against India. The left-arm spinner has decided to return to Australia in order to play domestic cricket for Western Australia.
The departure has ended a very forgettable tour of India for Ashton Agar. He was initially picked in the squad as Australia’s main left-arm spinner but did not get to play in any of the first two Tests as the visitors ended up suffering crushing losses in both of them.
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In the first Test in Nagpur, Toddy Murphy and Nathan Lyon took care of Australia’s spin department. And there was more disappointment in the store for Ashton Agar before the Delhi Test. While he would have expected to get the nod for the game, the team-management preferred uncapped left-arm spinner Matthew Kuhnemann who was not even a part of the original squad.
Kuhnemann was called up to the squad after Mitchell Swepson returned home following the first Test for the birth of his child. According to ESPNcricinfo, Australia have decided against making any new additions to the squad ahead of the third Border-Gavaskar Test in Indore, starting March 1.
Ashton Agar is not the first player from the Australian camp to return home. Apart from Swepson, Josh Hazlewood and David Warner have already gone back home with injuries. Skipper Pat Cummins has also gone to Australia due to a family health issue. He and Swepson are set to join the squad ahead of the third Test.
Ashton Agar snub a ‘big insult’:
The Australian team-management’s decision of preferring Kuhnemann ahead of Ashton Agar was met with severe criticism. Several former players had openly criticised the move. Australia legend Adam Gilchrist has even called it a big insult for the spinner, telling SEN WA Mornings:
“Ashton Agar… there’s been murmurings that he might be on a flight home because he might feel like he’s surplus to requirements over there and I can understand why, without being in the camp and knowing the finer details of why he wasn’t picked.
“But it’s a pretty big insult that I know from touring and being on a lot of tours, you felt that if you’re picked on the tour in a broader squad – unless it’s a pretty extreme like for like that has to come in – you generally expected the guys that were first reserves to step in.
“So that’s a bit of a body blow for him I would imagine. I haven’t spoken to him… it’ll be interesting to see what he does, whether he’s brought into contention,” he added.
After returning home, the spinner will be in action straightaway. He will be playing in Western Australia’s next Sheffield Shield game on March 2 and the 50-over Marsh Cup final that WA will host on March 8.
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