New Delhi: Australia spinner Ashton Agar has taken a bold step to opt out of state and national contracts. Agar has embraced the life of a T20 freelancer, signalling a shift that could become commonplace among cricketers in the coming years.
Agar’s decision marks a significant turn in his career, prioritising flexibility and global opportunities over the traditional security of state and national contracts. His move comes at a pivotal moment, as he prepares to don Australian colours again for the upcoming T20 World Cup in the Caribbean.
The spinner, who has had limited international exposure over the past 18 months, is poised to rejoin the squad as Adam Zampa’s spinning partner on pitches expected to favour spin.
“What I’ve learned is that you can’t cling on to safety in your skills and then your contracts,” Agar told cricket.com.au’s Unplayable Podcast in Trinidad.
“I’ve made that mistake before and your cricket skills fall away, if you’re clinging on to safety and security.
“I think a lot of people are going to do what I’ve just done in the coming years. We’ll see it a lot more next year, more the year after – and that’s just going to be the way cricket works.
“Because there’s so much T20 cricket around the world, guys aren’t going to want to take contracts that lock them into certain things,” he added.
This transition to a freelance career isn’t without precedent. Fellow Australian cricketers like Tim David, Marcus Stoinis, Andrew Tye, and Jason Behrendorff have already ventured down this path, foregoing state contracts to explore the lucrative world of global T20 leagues. Agar’s experience in recent warm-up matches against Namibia and the West Indies has reignited his passion for the game and reinforced his belief in this new career trajectory. IANS
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