Ashton Agar will replace Stephen O’Keefe as Nathan Lyon’s partner in Australia’s spin bowling attack for its security-delayed two-Test tour of Bangladesh, which pacer Mitchell Starc will miss because of injury.
Australia had been scheduled to travel to Dhaka and Chittagong for two Tests in October 2015, but the trip was postponed after national cricket authorities received security warnings from the Australian government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
The Australians haven’t played a Test in Bangladesh in more than a decade, but did play in a three-match limited-over international series in Dhaka in 2011.
O’Keefe and Starc were two of the better bowlers on Australia’s last tour of the Indian subcontinent, which ended in a 2-1 win for India, but were missing from the squad announced on Friday.
The 23-year-old Agar has played two Tests, including a stunning debut when he scored 98 batting at No. 11 against England in 2013.
The squad : Steve Smith (Capt.), David Warner, Matt Renshaw, Usman Khawaja, Peter Handscomb, Glenn Maxwell, Hilton Cartwright, Matthew Wade, Pat Cummins, James Pattinson, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon and Ashton Agar .
