I harbour no ill will at all, says Ashton Agar on being sent back from India

New Delhi : Australia spinner Ashton Agar has said that he doesn’t “harbour ill will” towards the team after being sent back home to play domestic cricket amid the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against India.

Agar arrived in India as Australia’s second spinner besides Nathan Lyon, but was overlooked for the first two Tests in Nagpur and Delhi as he struggled in the nets and leapfrogged by fellow left-arm spinner Mathew Kuhnemann.

“It’s a very clear direction forward for me now to just work on it and improve. I harbour no ill will or ill feeling at all, I’m very well supported in that camp, and they’ve kept in constant communication with me so it’s all in a good place,” Agar was quoted by Cricket.com.au.

“I’ve always wanted to play as much as I could for Australia in whatever format that is and just take my opportunities when they come. It’s a tough game. It’s a ruthless environment.

And that’s how it should be because it’s the pinnacle of the sport. “Playing for Australia in all forms, of course, I still want to do that. But my focus is just on cricket, you just play what’s in front of you and you try and do as well as you can,” he said.

Agar will return to India for the three-match ODI series, beginning on March 17 in Mumbai, as Australia ramp up their preparations for the 50-over World Cup in the subcontinent in October-November.

“I’ve been a professional cricketer for 10 years now so I’m far more resilient than when I started, and I’ve learned to focus on what’s important, so I feel pretty calm heading over there (to India).

“I’ve got to play some one-day cricket over there before, so I certainly know what I’m in for and it’s going to be a really big challenge, there’s no doubt about that,” the left-arm spinner said.