AUSTRALIA – Cricket Australia (CA) confirmed the news in a statement released to the media on Tuesday morning, just hours before the start of the three-match one-day international series in Pakistan.
Covid 19 is causing more damage than before with sportsman having to sit out of important series for their career and also their countries. It is impossible for an athlete to return to complete normalcy of health in a few days as the virus attacks your system aggressively.
Agar’s withdrawal from the squad means stand-in coach Andrew McDonald has only 13 players at his disposal for the series opener at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.
This after Josh Inglis had tested positive for COVID-19 earlier in the week, while Australia‘s physiotherapist Brendan Wilson is also isolating after returning a positive test.
Wicketkeeper-batter Inglis could still play a part as he is currently in his five-day isolation period before he can return to training.
Elsewhere, Australia’s hero of the T20 World Cup victory, Mitchell Marsh, exacerbated a hip injury during a fielding drill.
Whilst Marsh was not ruled out of the remainder of the tour completely, scans confirmed a low-grade hip flexor strain.
Earlier, star batsman Steve Smith was ruled out with an elbow injury.
After Tuesday’s series-opener, the two teams will clash again in two more ODIs, on March 31 and April 2.
The historic tour will come to an end with a lone T20 international in Rawalpindi on April 5.
