Agar takes on Ponting over pitch claim

Big Bash spin star Ashton Agar has rubbished suggestions from Ricky Ponting that the Sydney Showgrounds wicket was substandard declaring it was a good “lesson” for players with international ambitions given other wickets around the world are “more extreme”.

Agar returned the second most economical figures in Big Bash history for the Perth Scorchers on Monday night, finishing with 2-6 and 18 dot balls in his four-over spell as his team took down the Sydney Thunder.

The Scorchers’ bowling attack combined for 57 dot balls in the game as batters battled.

Ponting lashed the pitch, which produced significant spin and “reacted big” according to Agar, calling it “substandard” for the BBL.

Agar was less scathing and instead said a full day of rain in Sydney before the game would have contributed to the “tacky” nature of the pitch.

The left-arm spinner also said rather than talk down the pitch, which made batting hard for both teams, he and any other players with hopes of playing overseas should take the “learnings” of having to adapt to conditions which so many Australian players are not used to.

“The Big Bash is an entertaining game and you want to see high scores and balls flying over the fence, but there’s a lot to take away from games like that for guys who go overseas,” Agar said.

“We went to Bangladesh (in 2022) and the wickets were even more extreme than that. You are going to have pitches like that around the world.

“It’s nice to have a conducive wicket (to spin). It’s not often you get to bowl on those pitches but you have to make them count when you do.

“I’ve played a on a few pitches like that around the world. I know what to bowl early to see what will happen, when it happens, you stick to that.”

Pitches have been an issue for the BBL with Melbourne Renegades coach David Saker unhappy with those produced at Marvel Stadium this season.

Saker said his team had played three games at their home ground and faced ”three different pitches” which impacted preparation.

His team’s opening match of the season in Geelong was also abandoned after it was deemed too dangerous.