Australian selector explains decision to send Ashton Agar home from India
Ashton Agar has been sent home from India, with Todd Murphy and Matt Kuhnemann preferred. Photo: AAP
Ashton Agar is the latest Australian to leave the troubled tour of India as legendary wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist hit out at the treatment of the bowling all-rounder.
The 29-year-old will arrive back in Perth on Wednesday after being leapfrogged by debutant spinners Todd Murphy and Matt Kuhnemann.
He joins injured pair Josh Hazlewood and David Warner in exiting the squad.
Agar played in the New Year’s Test against South Africa at the SCG, but was overlooked for the first two matches in India.
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Queensland left-armer Kuhnemann wasn’t in Australia’s initial 18-man squad, but was called over to India following the first Test defeat in Nagpur.
Gilchrist described the move to pick Kuhnemann over Agar as a “pretty big insult”.
“… 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,” Gilchrist told SEN.
“So that’s a bit of a body blow for him (Agar) I would imagine.”
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Australia selector Tony Dodemaide explained it was a “close call” to pick Murphy over Agar for the first Test.
“Todd’s come on tremendously, as we know, and he’s been a real find for us for this,” Dodemaide said.
“Those two (Murphy and Lyon) are now clearly established, I think, as the best two spinners and they have 18 out of the 24 (wickets) to fall so far for us.
“We just decided that Matthew’s (Kuhnemann) style might be suited to the conditions there.
“Matthew’s done nothing wrong. He took Virat Kohli’s wicket and did a really solid job we thought.”
Agar is expected to be available for Western Australia’s next Sheffield Shield game, starting on March 2.
He will also return to India for the three-match ODI series, starting on March 17.
Dodemaide reiterated Agar’s importance to the Australia’s white-ball squads.
“He’s (Agar) been very open with us and he has absolutely worked his backside off in order to get it right, to put himself up and be an option,” Dodemaide said.
“We absolutely acknowledge that there’s been no lack of effort from Ashton.”
-AAP
