"It's a place I love going" - Ashton Agar thrilled at prospect of playing 2023 World Cup in India
Australia's limited-overs specialist Ashton Agar is excited by the prospect of playing in the 2023 World Cup in India. The West Australian said that he loves playing in India, as the pitches there are conducive for spinners.
Agar is one of the spinners named in Australia's World Cup provisional squad, along with Adam Zampa and Tanveer Sangha. However, his entry in the final 15-man squad will depend on his performance in the upcoming ODI series in South Africa and India.
Speaking to ESPN Cricinfo, Agar said that the World Cup is like a festival in India and loves playing on the two-paced wickets at the venues.
"World Cups bring out the best in one-day cricket, particularly in India. You never know what pitch you're going to get. But the chances are as a spinner that you'll be playing, and there's a chance that you play two spinners in a lot of the games, particularly if the pitches get tired.
"It's a place I love going. I've had really great experiences. Obviously, the Test tour was a difficult experience there. But then I got to go back and play that one-dayer and do really well. It's a place I really like to bowl."
The 29-year-old delivered an impactful performance in the only ODI he played in the three-game series against India earlier this year. The left-arm spinner claimed the wickets of Virat Kohli and Suryakumar Yadav to seal a series win for Australia.
"You probably take a hit to your pride" - Ashton Agar on missing Test series in India
Agar, who returned home without playing a Test in the four-match series in India this year, said that it affected his pride. The all-rounder also admitted that his preparations weren't where they needed to be:
"It's never easy. You probably take a hit to your pride more than anything, even after Sydney. All I'm trying to do is my best every single time. I'm always trying to get better. That's just who I am.
"And I give as much as I can to any team that I play in. But I felt okay coming back from India because I tried my arse off. It wasn't where it needed to be."
The West Australian will be in action in the ODI series against the Proteas, starting on August 30 in Durban.