"Because of T20 cricket, guys aren't going to want to take contracts": Ashton Agar

Ashton Agar (Pic: File Pic)

Australia's spinner Ashton Agar feels that it is time to look beyond the country's cricket and explore new opportunities in franchise cricket.

Ashton Agar has been named in Australia's T20 World Cup 2024 squad which is being hosted in the USA and the West Indies. So far, he has played five test matches and 70 limited-over matches. During the Ashes 2013, coming in to bat at number 11, Agar scored 98 runs.

But the spinner has never played any form of cricket other than the Australian setup, even after David Warner, Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Glenn Maxwell have made it big in franchise cricket, especially in the Indian Premier League. "What I've learned is that you can't cling on to safety in your skills and then your contracts," Agar said in Unplayable Podcast on cricket.com.au.

"I've made that mistake before and your cricket skills fall away, if you're clinging on to safety and security," Agar, who played the T20 World Cup 2024 warm-up game against Namibia earlier this week, added.

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For one and a half years, Ashton Agar has represented Australia in just three international matches across formats. He has declined deals with Western Australia or Australia for the first time since he moved from Melbourne to Perth in 2012, making it clear he is looking for greener pastures elsewhere.

"I think a lot of people are going to do what I've just done in the coming years. We'll see it a lot more next year, more the year after -- and that's just going to be the way cricket works.

"Because there's so much T20 cricket around the world, guys aren't going to want to take contracts that lock them into certain things," he added.

Agar was part of the Australian squad in the T20 World Cup in 2021 and 2022 but was only able to play one match in each tournament. Ahead of the T20 World Cup 2024, he is looking to secure his place in the playing XI and bowl with his fellow teammate and good friend, Adam Zampa.

"It had been really positive (messaging from national selectors) the whole time that if we were going to take two spinners I was going to go," said Agar.

"So I was preparing for most of the summer with this in the back of my mind. That's nice because you can wrap your head around it mentally a little earlier and prepare," added Agar.

(With PTI Inputs)