Left-arm spinner Ashton Agar has been named in Australia’s 18-man contingent that is set to tour Pakistan in March. He will be the third spinner in the side, along with modern-day great Nathan Lyon and leg-spinner Mitchell Swepson.
There were concerns that some players might bow out of the squad in fear of security concerns in Pakistan, but it did not present any significant surprises, as veteran pacer Josh Hazlewood returned to the side after missing out on a few Ashes Tests earlier in the year.
Promising pacer Jhye Richardson has been left out, in an apparent measure to manage his workload, while Neser presents the Aussies with their fifth pace-bowling option, alongside Hazlewood, Michell Starc, Scott Boland, and captain Pat Cummins.
Marcus Harris retains his place in the squad, and Mitchell Marsh features as well. Josh Inglis has been named as the Aussies’ reserve wicket-keeper, as the experienced Matthew Wade looks to have lost his place in the red-ball side.
The Australian spin contingent has plenty of variety on offer with a left-arm bowler in Agar, a conventional off-spinner in Nathan Lyon, and a leg-break bowler in Swepson. Agar has not played a single Test since 2017, when he featured against Bangladesh, accompanying Lyon and stalwart Steve o’Keefe in a spin-bowling triad. Agar, however, is a regular in the Australian limited-overs set-up, and as a result, does not have much red-ball cricket in him for the last year or so.
The Aussies will be visiting Pakistan after nearly 24 years and will have their task cut out in working out the conditions and the behaviour of the pitch. National selector George Bailey echoed that very sentiment as he felt that their squad had covered all bases and that the Aussies were unsure of the conditions in Pakistan.
“With several subcontinent tours and a one-day World Cup in India on the near horizon this is a great first-up challenge for the group after the successful home Ashes Series.
This squad covers for all scenarios including the conditions given it has been such a long time since Australia was last in Pakistan.”
Bailey said.
Seasoned campaigner Andrew McDonald will take over as interim head coach after Justin Langer announced an inexplicable resignation last week.
