Mark Taylor predicts end of Australian player's Test career; 'How they can pick him again'

Former Australian captain Mark Taylor has made a bold prediction on Ashton Agar's future in Test cricket after the latter was sent home from India to play the Sheffield Shield. Agar has been released from the Australian squad for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy despite being picked as one of the four spinners to play against India in spin-friendly conditions. Taylor believes that Agar may never play Test cricket again and expressed his disappointment at the way the Australian team management handled the 29-year-old bowler. 

Taylor said the Australian team picked Agar for the Sydney Test against South Africa, adding that it was a good selection because they were thinking of playing him in India Tests. However, Agar was not picked in the playing XI for the first two Tests of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, forcing Taylor to believe that his red-ball career for Australia may be over. 

"I don't know what his future is as a Test player. They picked him for the Sydney Test, which I thought was a good selection because they were thinking about the series in India. But then they didn't pick him in India. So I don't see what sort of future he has left. If they're not picking him in India, I'm not sure how they can pick him again," Taylor told Wide World of Sports.

"It's particularly worrying for Ashton Agar if he does harbour hopes of playing Test cricket again. If he was younger you'd say, 'Well, he can come back from this', but right now I'm struggling to see how he can put this behind him and play Test cricket again. I've got no doubt now that the selectors will be looking at the development of Matthew Kuhnemann as a left-arm spinner, so I don't know where that leaves Agar."

Agar's Test career

Agar has played just 5 Test matches for his country from 2013 to 2023. In those five Tests, Agar picked nine wickets at a dismal average of 52.00. The left-arm bowler, however, has played 64 first-class games and has taken 157 wickets at an average of 42.21. Agar has also played 20 ODIs and 47 T20Is for Australia since his white-ball debut in 2015. 

Image: BCCI