Reports: Ashton Agar ruled out of ODI World Cup with calf injury

Spinners are expected to play a huge role in the impending ODI World Cup, which is set to be hosted exclusively by India for the first time.

Spin bowlers who can contribute with the bat will be key players for the teams participating in the marquee event. In this regard, Australia had the advantage of having spin-bowling allrounder Ashton Agar in their ranks, who has around ten years of international experience. 

However, with the World Cup beginning in just a week's time, the five-time champions have suffered a devastating blow as the 29-year-old has been ruled out with a calf injury, as per The Daily Telegraph.

For the unversed, Agar had been dealing with calf issues for quite some time. During training with Western Australia, ahead of the away series against South Africa, the left-arm spinner suffered a minor calf tear. He missed the T20Is against the Proteas but returned for the ODI leg of the tour. However, after playing the first game, Agar was pulled out of the side after experiencing soreness in his calf.

The Melbourne-born returned home for the birth of his child and missed the ODI series against India. However, he was named in Australia's 15-member squad for the World Cup. It was expected that he would recover in time for the showpiece event, but unfortunately, things didn't transpire in that way. World Cup-bound players like Travis Head and Nathan Ellis have recently suffered injuries and are being monitored. Now, Agar's news will be of significant concern to Australia, as they hope to win an ODI World Cup in the sub-continent for the second time.

Agar made his ODI debut in 2015 and has only played 22 games. He has picked up 21 wickets at 45.62 and scored 322 runs at 24.77. The numbers might not look very impressive but the fact that he has bowled mostly in Australian and English conditions, where spinners don't get much purchase off the deck and batted lower down the order, should be taken into consideration. The Aussies will begin their World Cup campaign on October 8 in Chennai against India.