Ashton Agar

Ashton Charles Agar (born 14 October 1993) is an Australian cricketer who plays all forms of the game at international level. Agar plays domestically for Western Australia and the Perth Scorchers. A left-handed spin bowler, he played two Test matches for the Australian national side during the 2013 Ashes series and 5 Test matches in his career. Agar was also a member of the Australian team that won the 2021 T20 World Cup in Dubai and Oman.

Ashton Agar

Agar in 2018
Personal information
Full name	Ashton Charles Agar
Born	(1993-10-14) 14 October 1993 (age 31) Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Nickname	Larry
Height	1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Batting	Left-handed
Bowling	Slow left-arm orthodox
Role	Bowler
Relations	Wes Agar (brother)
International information
National side	Australia (2013–2024)
Test debut (cap 434)	10 July 2013 v England
Last Test	4 January 2023 v South Africa
ODI debut (cap 208)	8 September 2015 v England
Last ODI	7 September 2023 v South Africa
ODI shirt no.	46
T20I debut (cap 83)	6 March 2016 v South Africa
Last T20I	22 June 2024 v Afghanistan
T20I shirt no.	46
Domestic team information
Years	Team
2012/13–present	Western Australia
2013/14–present	Perth Scorchers
2018	Middlesex
2019	Warwickshire
2024	Northamptonshire
Career statistics
Competition Test ODI T20I FC Matches 5 22 49 64 Runs scored 195 322 279 2,271 Batting average 32.50 24.76 11.62 28.38 100s/50s 0/1 0/0 0/0 3/12 Top score 98 48* 29 114* Balls bowled 1006 1098 1042 13,042 Wickets 9 21 49 157 Bowling average 52.00 45.61 23.04 42.21 5 wickets in innings 0 0 2 6 10 wickets in match 0 0 0 2 Best bowling 3/46 2/31 6/30 6/110 Catches/stumpings 0/– 10/– 32/– 23/–
Medal record Men's Cricket Representing  Australia T20 World Cup Winner 2021 UAE & Oman
Source: ESPNcricinfo, 29 August 2024

Early life and domestic career

Agar was born in Melbourne,^[1] to Sonia Hewawissa, a Sri Lankan mother and John Agar, an Australian father,^[2] and has two younger brothers, Will and Wes.^[3] He attended Melbourne's De La Salle College, graduating in 2011.^[4][5]

He represented Victoria at both under-17 and under-19 level.^[6] After good form at the 2010–11 National Under-17 Championships, where he took 16 wickets at an average of 11.75 bowling left-arm orthodox spin,^[7] he was selected to play for the Australian under-19s for a series against the West Indies under-19s in the United Arab Emirates. Making his debut at the age of 17, Agar went on to play one under-19 Test and ten under-19 One Day International (ODI) matches for Australia.^[8] At the 2012 Under-19 World Cup, he was named in the squad as Australia's second spinner behind Ashton Turner,^[9][10] but did not play a match at the tournament.^[11]

Having failed to gain selection at senior level for Victoria, Agar moved to Western Australia for the 2012–13 season, where he was awarded a contract with the Western Australian Cricket Association (WACA).^[12][13] He made his first-class debut for Western Australia in a Sheffield Shield match against New South Wales in January 2013, replacing the injured Michael Beer as the side's spinner.^[14] In his second Shield match, early the following month, he scored 53 runs in Western Australia's second innings, putting on a state Sheffield Shield record partnership of 94 runs for the tenth wicket with Michael Hogan (43*).^[15] Agar made his List A debut for Western Australia in the limited-overs Ryobi One-Day Cup in late January,^[16] and took five wickets from his two matches,^[17] with his best figures 3/51 against Queensland.^[18]

Agar made his Sheffield Shield debut in January 2013. The following month, he was called up for Australia's 2012–13 tour of India, where he played a single tour match. Agar toured England and Ireland with Australia A in mid-2013, performing well in the English conditions. Although originally not selected in the touring squad, he made his Test debut for Australia in the first Test of the 2013 Ashes series. Coming in with the score on 117/9, Agar scored 98 runs batting eleventh in Australia's first innings, Agar broke several Test records on debut, including the highest score by a number-11 batsman and the highest partnership for the tenth wicket (with Phillip Hughes – since broken). However, after poor bowling, he was dropped from the team after the second Test of the series.

In February 2013, Agar was a late inclusion in the Australian squad for the 2012–13 tour of India,^[19] and played a single match on tour, taking 3/107 against India A.^[20] He finished the Sheffield Shield season with 19 wickets from five matches,^[21] including a five-wicket haul, 5/65, taken against South Australia in early March.^[22] In the same match, Agar was again involved in a substantial last-wicket partnership with Michael Hogan, with the pair adding 68 to enable Western Australia to win by one wicket.^[23] In his previous match, against Tasmania, he had scored 71 not out in Western Australia's fourth innings of 8/351, helping the team win by two wickets,^[24] and he finished the season with 229 runs at an average of 32.71, finishing third in the team's batting averages.^[25]

Agar made his Twenty20 debut for the Perth Scorchers in the 2013 Champions League Twenty20 in India.^[26] He was used primarily as an opening batsman at the tournament, bowling only 4.2 overs across three matches (from which he conceded 51 runs without taking a wicket).^[27] Against the Mumbai Indians, he scored 35 from 40 balls, which was his highest score in twenty20s As of March 2015^[update].^[28] Agar played only a single match during the 2013–14 Big Bash League season, but the following season featured in eight of the Scorchers' ten matches. He took eight wickets at an average of 24.25, ranked thirteenth in the competition and fourth for the Scorchers, behind Jason Behrendorff, Yasir Arafat, and Andrew Tye. Only two spinners – Cameron Boyce (10) and Adam Zampa (9) – took more wickets at the tournament.^[29] When the 2014–15 Sheffield Shield season resumed after the conclusion of the Big Bash League, Agar was man of the match against South Australia, taking an inaugural ten-wicket haul (5/133 and 5/81) and also scoring 64 in Western Australia's first innings.^[30] In the next match, against New South Wales, he took 4/22 in the second innings, helping to bowl New South Wales out for 97.^[31]

At WACA district level, Agar plays for University.^[32] He previously played for the Richmond Cricket Club in Victorian Premier Cricket.^[33]

International career

Agar bowling in 2013

Agar was selected to tour England, Scotland, and Ireland with Australia A in June 2013.^[34][35] Along with Fawad Ahmed, he was generally considered to be competing for a final position in Australia's squad for the 2013 Ashes series in England.^[36] A spot in the squad for a second spinner, behind Nathan Lyon, had been kept open to be given to one of the two spinners, based on form in the lead-up to the tour.^[37] Following his good form for Australia A, Agar was named to make his Test debut in the first Test of the series (played at Trent Bridge, Nottingham), replacing Lyon in the side from the previous tour.^[38] Aged 19 years and 269 days, he became the twelfth-youngest Australian Test player,^[39] as well as the youngest Australian since Archie Jackson (during the 1928–29 series) to make his Test debut in the Ashes.^[40] On debut, he scored 98 runs from 101 balls batting eleventh in Australia's first innings, breaking several Test records, including first player to ever score a half-century as a number eleven batsman on debut, highest score by a number eleven batsman, and, with Phillip Hughes, highest partnership (163 runs) for the tenth wicket.^[41][42]

Agar played in the first two Tests of the series, and despite his debut batting performance, had very limited success with the ball, taking 0/24, 2/82, 0/44 and 0/98 for a bowling average of 124. He was subsequently dropped from the team for the third and fourth Tests, and returned home due to illness ahead of the final Test. Lyon replaced him in the side.^[43] During India's 2014–15 tour of Australia, he was added to Australia's squad for the Fourth Test, a dead rubber on a spin-friendly pitch at the Sydney Cricket Ground, but he did not play in the match, with Lyon preferred as Australia's sole spinner.^[44]

In 2015, Agar was not granted a spot for The Ashes squad, instead becoming a fixture in the List A squad. He would make his limited-overs debut following the Ashes series.

He made his One Day International debut against England on 8 September 2015.^[45] He made his Twenty20 International debut for Australia against South Africa on 6 March 2016.^[46]

In 2017, Agar was recalled to the Australian test side for their tour of Bangladesh, and in the first test match, took 5 wickets in total, as well as scoring an impressive 41 not out in Australia's first innings. Despite his efforts, Australia lost to Bangladesh for the first time in Test cricket.

In April 2018, he was awarded a national contract by Cricket Australia for the 2018–19 season.^[47][48]

On 21 February 2020, in the first T20I match against South Africa, Agar became the second bowler for Australia, and 13th overall, to take a hat-trick in a T20I match.^[49][50] He finished the match with figures of 5/24 from his four overs, his first five-wicket haul in a T20I match.^[51]

In April 2020, Cricket Australia awarded Agar with a central contract ahead of the 2020–21 season.^[52][53] On 16 July 2020, Agar was named in a 26-man preliminary squad of players to begin training ahead of a possible tour to England following the COVID-19 pandemic.^[54][55] On 14 August 2020, Cricket Australia confirmed that the fixtures would be taking place, with Agar included in the touring party.^[56][57]

On 3 March 2021, during the series against New Zealand, Agar took the best figures for a bowler for Australia, and the fifth-best figures overall in T20Is, with 6/30 from his four overs.^[58] In August 2021, Agar was named in Australia's squad for the 2021 ICC Men's T20 World Cup.^[59]

In March 2022, Agar was added to the Australian test, ODI, and T20 squad ahead of its tour of Pakistan. However, Agar was withdrawn from the T20 squad after testing positive for coronavirus.

To provide spin depth to the Australian test squad during its series against South Africa, Agar was added for the fifth and final test match in Sydney. He was named in the Australian test XI for the first time in five years, as an all-rounder option following Cameron Green's dislocated finger injury.

In May 2024, he was named in Australia’s squad for the 2024 ICC Men's T20 World Cup tournament.^[60]

References

1. Ashton Agar profile Archived 15 July 2013 at the Wayback Machine – Cricket Australia. Retrieved 24 January 2013.
2. Ashton Agar: proud to be of Sri Lankan heritage – The Sunday Times. Published 20 May 2012. Retrieved 24 January 2013.
3. "Another Agar on the rise". cricket.com.au. Retrieved 12 October 2016.
4. Congratulations Ashton Agar! – De La Salle College. Published 16 July 2013. Retrieved 18 July 2013.
5. 11 things you may not know about Ashton Agar – Herald Sun Published 12 July 2013. Retrieved 18 July 2013.
6. Miscellaneous matches played by Ashton Agar (34) – CricketArchive. Retrieved 24 January 2013.
7. Bowling in Australian Under-17 Championships 2010/11 (ordered by average) – CricketArchive. Retrieved 24 January 2013.
8. Ashton Agar profile – CricketArchive. Retrieved 24 January 2013.
9. Ashton Agar player profile and statistics – ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 10 July 2013.
10. Australia name U-19 World Cup squad – ESPNcricinfo. Published 3 July 2012. Retrieved 10 July 2013.
11. Bowling for Australia under-19s at ICC Under-19 World Cup 2012 – CricketArchive. Retrieved 10 July 2013.
12. 2012–13 Warriors Squad & Rookies Announced Archived 30 April 2013 at the Wayback Machine – Western Australian Cricket Association. Published 4 July 2012. Retrieved 24 January 2013.
13. Warriors add unknown spinner Ashton Agar to 17-man playing squad – Herald Sun. Published 4 July 2012. Retrieved 24 January 2013.
14. Injured Beer in doubt for India tour – ESPNcricinfo. Published 22 January 2013. Retrieved 24 January 2013.
15. Bulls face huge task as Western Australia dominates Sheffield Shield clash at Gabba – Herald Sun. Published 7 February 2013. Retrieved 8 February 2013.
16. List A matches played by Ashton Agar (2) – CricketArchive. Retrieved 10 July 2013.
17. Bowling for Western Australia in Ryobi One-Day Cup 2012/13 – CricketArchive. Retrieved 10 July 2013.
18. Queensland v Western Australia, Ryobi One-Day Cup 2012/13 – CricketArchive. Retrieved 10 July 2013.
19. Brettig, Daniel (2013). Ashton Agar in frame for India Tests – ESPNcricinfo. Published 15 February 2013.
20. First-class matches played by Ashton Agar (11) – CricketArchive. Retrieved 10 July 2013.
21. Bowling for Western Australia in Sheffield Shield 2012/13 – CricketArchive. Retrieved 10 July 2013.
22. South Australia v Western Australia, Sheffield Shield 2012/13 – CricketArchive. Retrieved 10 July 2013.
23. Mammone, Christian (2013). Hogan, Agar clinch famous WA victory Archived 28 May 2013 at the Wayback Machine – Cricket Australia. Published 10 March 2013. Retrieved 10 July 2013.
24. Warriors complete stirring comeback – ESPNcricinfo. Published 24 February 2013. Retrieved 10 July 2013.
25. Batting and fielding for Western Australia in Sheffield Shield 2012/13 – CricketArchive. Retrieved 10 July 2013.
26. Twenty20 matches played by Ashton Agar – CricketArchive. Retrieved 3 March 2015.
27. Twenty20 bowling in each season by Ashton Agar – CricketArchive. Retrieved 3 March 2015.
28. Mumbai Indians v Perth Scorchers, Champions League 2013/14 (Group A) – CricketArchive. Retrieved 3 March 2015.
29. Big Bash League, 2014/15 / Records / Most wickets Archived 19 February 2015 at the Wayback Machine – ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 3 March 2015.
30. (19 February 2015). "WA fall three runs short in thrilling draw" – ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 3 March 2015.
31. (28 February 2015). "WA cruise to victory after NSW fold for 97" – ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 3 March 2015.
32. WA Begin U19s State Champs On Monday Archived 24 April 2013 at the Wayback Machine – Western Australian Cricket Association. Published 6 January 2013. Retrieved 24 January 2013.
33. Ashton Agar profile – MyCricket. Retrieved 24 January 2013.
34. Australia A Tour to the UK Archived 10 July 2013 at the Wayback Machine – Cricket Australia. Retrieved 10 July 2013.
35. Hustwaite, Megan (2013). Ashton Agar selected in Australia A team to tour British Isles in June – Herald Sun. Published 24 April 2013. Retrieved 10 July 2013.
36. Coverdale, Brydon (2013). Ahmed, Agar "Ashes contenders": Inverarity – ESPNcricinfo. Published 19 June 2013. Retrieved 10 July 2013.
37. Ashton Agar, Fawad Ahmed in line for Ashes call: Nathan Lyon – The Australian. Published 8 May 2013. Retrieved 10 July 2013.
38. Brettig, Daniel (2013). Teenage Ashton Agar handed shock debut – ESPNcricinfo. Published 10 July 2013. Retrieved 10 July 2013.
39. Smith, Wayne (2013). Teenage spinner Ashton Agar gets shock Ashes call – The Australian. Published 10 July 2013. Retrieved 10 July 2013.
40. Youngest players on debut for Australia in Test matches – CricketArchive. Retrieved 11 July 2013.
41. Ashton Agar claims a place in Ashes history – The Australian. Published 12 July 2013. Retrieved 12 July 2013.
42. Conn, Malcolm (2013). Ashes: Teenage debutant Ashton Agar scores 98 to swing momentum of first Ashes Test back in Australia's favour – Herald Sun. Published 12 July 2013. Retrieved 12 July 2013.
43. Reuters report, 22 August
44. Coverdale, Brydon (3 March 2015). "Agar added to squad for Sydney Test" – ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 3 March 2015.
45. "Australia tour of England and Ireland, 3rd ODI: England v Australia at Manchester, Sep 8, 2015". ESPNcricinfo. 8 September 2015. Retrieved 8 September 2015.
46. "Australia tour of South Africa, 2nd T20I: South Africa v Australia at Johannesburg, Mar 6, 2016". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
47. "Carey, Richardson gain contracts as Australia look towards World Cup". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
48. "Five new faces on CA contract list". Cricket Australia. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
49. "SA vs AUS: Ashton Agar becomes second Australian to take hat-trick in T20I history". India TV News. Retrieved 21 February 2020.
50. "Twenty20 Internationals: Bowling records, Hat-tricks". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 21 February 2020.
51. "Australia defeat South Africa in first T20 contest by 107 runs". NT News. Retrieved 21 February 2020.
52. "CA reveals national contract lists for 2020-21". Cricket Australia. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
53. "Usman Khawaja and Marcus Stoinis lose Cricket Australia contracts". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
54. "Usman Khawaja and Marcus Stoinis in expanded Australia training squad for possible England tour". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
55. "Aussies name huge 26-player group with eye on UK tour". Cricket Australia. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
56. "Riley Meredith, Josh Philippe and Daniel Sams included as Australia tour to England confirmed". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
57. "Uncapped trio make Australia's UK touring party". Cricket Australia. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
58. "Black Caps vs Australia: Ashton Agar's joy of six as touring side keep series alive". Stuff. Retrieved 3 March 2021.
59. "Josh Inglis earns call-up and key names return in Australia's T20 World Cup squad". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 19 August 2021.
60. "Australia's squad for ICC Men's T20I World Cup 2024 Updates". ScoreWaves. Retrieved 11 June 2024.

External links

• Ashton Agar at ESPNcricinfo