Home

West Australians Ashton Agar, Mitch Marsh, Josh Inglis and more named for June tour of Sri Lanka

Headshot of Jackson Barrett
Jackson BarrettThe West Australian
Ashton Agar will lead Australia’s spin attack when it heads to Sri Lanka later this year.
Camera IconAshton Agar will lead Australia’s spin attack when it heads to Sri Lanka later this year. Credit: Jenny Evans/Getty Images

West Australian all-rounder Ashton Agar has been named to play all three formats for Australia and will lead the limited overs spin attack when it tours Sri Lanka later this year.

Agar will join Cameron Green, Josh Inglis and Mitchell Marsh in the Test squad for the two match series at the end of June — the first time Australia has toured the country in six years.

Emerging seamer Jhye Richardson has missed the 16-man red-ball squad though, with selectors instead sticking by incumbent front-line seamers Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Ashes sensation Scott Boland.

Get in front of tomorrow's news for FREE

Journalism for the curious Australian across politics, business, culture and opinion.

READ NOW

Agar has been named as one of three spinners and is set to compete for a Test berth with Nathan Lyon and the recently capped Mitchell Swepson.

But he is expected to lead the way as Australia’s most experienced spinner for the shorter formats, with first-choice tweaker Adam Zampa to sit out the entire tour as he waits for the birth of his first child.

The Game AFL 2024

Australia's Ashton Agar bowls a delivery during the first Twenty20 cricket match between England and Australia, at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton, England, Friday, Sept. 4, 2020. (Dan Mullan/Pool via AP)
Camera IconAshton Agar has been picked to play for Australia across all three formats. Credit: Dan Mullan/AP

Former Sandgroper Marcus Harris is the biggest name to be snubbed from the Test squad, after falling out of favour before the recent tour of Pakistan.

Harris has scored two hundreds and three half-centuries in his last five first-class games for Victoria and Gloucestershire.

Five West Aussies have been named in the T20 squad, with Agar, Inglis and Marsh joined by Richardson and Marcus Stoinis for that leg of the tour.

Inglis could play purely as a batter, as he did when the two sides met during the Australian summer, with fellow ‘keeper Matthew Wade also named.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - FEBRUARY 13: Steve Smith and Josh Inglis of Australia celebrate Smith running out Dasun Shanaka of Sri Lanka during game two in the T20 International series between Australia and Sri Lanka at Sydney Cricket Ground on February 13, 2022 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)
Camera IconJosh Inglis has been picked for the limited overs tour of Sri Lanka, but could play as a batter again. Credit: Mark Kolbe/Getty Images

Australian red ball captain Pat Cummins will sit out the T20s before returning for the one-dayers and to lead the Test squad.

Green has retained his place in the 50-over side, while Hazlewood, Starc, David Warner, Steve Smith, Matthew Wade and Glenn Maxwell will reinvigorate a white-ball squad that took a youthful team to Pakistan.

Left-arm seamer Jason Behrendorff was one of the quicks to make way from the most recent limited-overs side.

Meanwhile, Sheffield Shield final hero Aaron Hardie has been picked in the Australia A team for two one-day games and two first-class games in Colombo and Hambantota.

PERTH, AUSTRALIA - APRIL 03: Aaron Hardie of Western Australia celebrates his century during day four of the Sheffield Shield Final match between Western Australia and Victoria at WACA, on April 03, 2022, in Perth, Australia. (Photo by James Worsfold/Getty Images)
Camera IconAaron Hardie has been given his first opportunity for Australia A after a dominant Sheffield Shield final hundred. Credit: James Worsfold/Getty Images

The 23-year-old Willeton product smashed a second-innings 174no to lead WA to a breakthrough Shield triumph and continues a long and successful line of seam bowling all-rounders from the State which also includes Marsh, Green and Marcus Stoinis.

He will be joined by fellow West Aussies Inglis, Richardson and Josh Phillipe in the squad, which is headlined by Harris, Boland, Peter Handscomb and South Australian Shield sensation Henry Hunt.

The T20 series will be the first as a permanent coach for new mentor Andrew McDonald and begins on June 7, before the one-dayers begin on June 14 and the Test series on June 29.

AUSTRALIAN SQUADS FOR TOUR OF SRI LANKA

T20: Aaron Finch (c), Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Josh Hazlewood, Josh Inglis, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Jhye Richardson, Kane Richardson, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Mitchell Swepson, David Warner, Matthew Wade.

ODI: Aaron Finch (c), Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Mitchell Swepson, David Warner.

Test: Pat Cummins (c), Ashton Agar, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Swepson, David Warner.

Australia A: Sean Abbott, Scott Boland, Pete Handscomb, Aaron Hardie, Marcus Harris, Travis Head, Henry Hunt, Josh Inglis, Matthew Kuhnemann, Nic Maddinson, Todd Murphy, Josh Philippe, Matt Renshaw, Jhye Richardson, Tanveer Sangha, Mark Steketee

Get the latest news from thewest.com.au in your inbox.

Sign up for our emails