Lahore, March 29: Australian left-arm spinner Ashton Agar has tested positive for Covid-19, hours before the start of the three-match One-day International (ODI) series against Pakistan at Gaddafi Stadium here on Tuesday.
Agar, 28, who had been sidelined during the ICC T20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates, was expected to partner fellow spinner Adam Zampa in the opening ODI. The positive Covid test means Agar becomes the second Australian cricketer to test positive within 24 hours and be ruled out of the entire ODI series.
Australian batsman Josh Inglis had tested positive on Monday along with physio Brendan Wilson. Cricket Australia (CA), however, said all other players and support staff had tested negative.
“ONLY IN: Ashton Agar has tested positive for COVID-19 and will now miss the #PAKvAUS ODI series,” Cricket Australia tweeted on Tuesday.
Australia will field one of the most exhausted white ball teams in a long time. The tourists’ first white ball match on Pakistani soil since 1998 is devoid of some of the biggest names, including Test captain Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and top-tier batsmen Steve Smith and David Warner.
The team will also lose pitcher Jhye Richardson, who was not considered for the entire tour considering his long-term usefulness, while Kane Richardson suffered a hamstring injury in training in Melbourne a day before departure. of the team. Limited overs specialist Glenn Maxwell is also missing after he recently married.
To add to his woes, Mitchell Marsh, with 63 ODIs to his name and Australia’s second most experienced player on tour behind Captain Finch (132 ODIs), has been ruled out of the first ODI and possibly the entire series due to a hip flexor injury suffered in training on Sunday.