Side strain forces Australia's Agar out of Sri Lanka tour

02.07.2022 - 10:33 channelnewsasia.com

Ashton Agar has been ruled out of Australia's second test against Sri Lanka with a side strain, Cricket Australia announced on Saturday.The spin bowler, who had been undergoing rehabilitation in an effort to be ready for the second test, has been replaced in the squad by Jon Holland.Holland played the first of his four Test matches against Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka in 2016 and joins the squad having recently featured for Australia A against Sri Lanka A.The second test begins on July 8 after the Australians wrapped up the first test on Friday with a comprehensive 10 wicket win.

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The development comes after the SLC recently postponed the third edition of the Lanka Premier League (LPL) due to the ongoing crisis. "Sri Lankan cricket has conveyed that due to the existing political and economic situation in their country specially where foreign exchange is concerned it is not an ideal situation for them to host such a mega-event of six teams in the island," an ACC source said.

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Cricket is a welcome distraction for Sri Lankans in crisis

The cricket-crazed South Asian island nation is facing its worst economic crisis in recent memory, enduring acute shortages of food, fuel and medicine. The government has shut schools and universities and has limited fuel supplies. "Yes there is a problem in the country, people have become poor and helpless with all kinds of problems.