Agar suffers shoulder injury setback

Ashton Agar is in doubt for the Australia A winter series in Queensland and could possibly also miss the Matador BBQs One-Day Cup after injuring his right shoulder in pre-season training.

Agar had scans on Monday afternoon after the mishap and CA's Bupa Support Staff Sports Science and Sports Medicine Manager Alex Kountouris said a specialist would be consulted to see if surgery was required.

"Ashton injured his right shoulder during a WACA pre-season training camp and scans have confirmed that he has disrupted some of the structures that were surgically repaired in April 2016," Kountouris said in a statement.

"He is due to see a specialist next week to determine if he will require surgery and when he is likely to return to training and playing.

"He will definitely miss the start of the Quadrangular A series, but whether he takes any part in it and whether he will be fit for the Matador BBQ’s One-Day Cup  will be determined in due course."

Australia A's series starts in Brisbane against South Africa A on July 30 with two four-day first-class matches before shifting to north Queensland for a one-day series also involving India A and Cricket Australia's National Performance Squad.

Queensland and Brisbane Heat batsman Chris Lynn dislocated his shoulder last September attempting a full-length dive in a fielding drill and was out of action for eight weeks before returning to action through club cricket.

A similar timeline for Agar would open the possibility of him playing some part in the Australia A series, but his return would be carefully monitored by Cricket Australia staff.

The injury would be a cruel blow for one of the rising stars of Australian cricket.

Agar burst onto the international scene three years ago this week, when he famously scored 98 on Test debut at Trent Bridge batting at No.11 alongside the late Phillip Hughes.

Quick Single: Agar's Ashes wild ride

The Western Australia and Perth Scorchers young-gun made his Twenty20 international debut earlier this year when a surprise call-up for Australia's World T20 squad.

He played one match in the warm-up series in Sri Lanka, and in the Dharamsala defeat to New Zealand in the tournament proper, bowling just the one  over that was taken for 18 runs by the Black Caps' big-hitting opener Martin Guptill.

Agar's batting has showed increasing promise, and he scored two first-class centuries last summer for WA.

He registered his maiden first-class century against Tasmania in the first Shield game of this season.

Batting at No.8, Agar combined with Michael Klinger for a 214-run seventh wicket stand at Hobart's Bellerive Oval.

In the return fixture at the WACA, Agar backed it up with another ton against the Tigers, finishing with 106 from 128 balls.

The Australia A squad has already suffered the withdrawal of Moises Henriques, who is with the Test squad in Sri Lanka, Pat Cummins, who has taken a cautious approach to his rehabilitation from a back stress injury, and Travis Head, who will spend the winter playing with England county champions Yorkshire instead.

'A' Series squads and fixtures

Australia A squad: Ashton Agar, Cameron Bancroft, Scott Boland, Cameron Boyce, Travis Dean, Peter Handscomb, Sam Heazlett, Jake Lehmann, Chris Lynn, Joe Mennie, Kurtis Patterson, Joel Paris, Matt Renshaw, Kane Richardson, Alex Ross, Chadd Sayers, Marcus Stoinis, Mitchell Swepson, Chris Tremain, Dan Worrall, Sam Whiteman.

South Africa A four-day squad: Stephen Cook (c), Qaasim Adams, Temba Bavuma, Dean Elgar, Heino Kuhn, Sisanda Magala, Keshav Maharaj, Duanne Olivier, Wayne Parnell, Andile Phehlukwayo, Vernon Philander, Dane Piedt, Omphile Ramela, Stiaan van Zyl, Dane Vilas, Hardus Viljoen 

South Africa A one-day squad: Wayne Parnell (c), Qaasim Adams, Marchant de Lange, Reeza Hendricks, Heino Kuhn, Eddie Leie, Sisanda Magala, Aaron Phangiso, Andile Phehlukwayo, Dwaine Pretorius, Rilee Rossouw, Malusi Siboto, Khaya Zondo, David Miller, Dane Vilas 

India A squad: Naman Ojha (capt), Faiz Fazal, Akhil Herwadkar, Shreyas Iyer, Karun Nair, Manish Pandey, Kedar Jadhav, Vijay Shankar, Axar Patel, Jayant Yadav, Varun Aaron, Dhawal Kulkarni, Jaydev Unadkat, Barinder Sran, Shahbaz Nadeem, Sanju Samson.

Fixtures

Four-day matches 

30 July – 2 August, Australia A v South Africa A, Allan Border Field, Brisbane
6 August – 9 August, Australia A v South Africa A, Tony Ireland Stadium, Townsville

One-day Series

13 August, South Africa A v NPS, Tony Ireland Stadium, Townsville
14 August, Australia A v India A, Tony Ireland Stadium, Townsville
16 August, Australia A v NPS, Tony Ireland Stadium, Townsville
17 August, South Africa A v India A, Tony Ireland Stadium, Townsville
20 August, Australia A v South Africa A, Tony Ireland Stadium, Townsville
21 August, India A v NPS, Tony Ireland Stadium, Townsville
24 August, NPS v Australia A, Harrup Park, Mackay
25 August, South Africa A v India A, Harrup Park, Mackay
27 August, NPS v India A, Harrup Park, Mackay
28 August, Australia A v South Africa A, Harrup Park, Mackay
30 August, Australia A v India A, Harrup Park, Mackay
31 August, South Africa A v NPS, Harrup Park, Mackay
3 September; Final 3 v 4, Harrup Park, Mackay
4 September, Final 1 v 2, Harrup Park, Mackay

Four-day matches

8-11 September, Australia A v India A, Allan Border Field, Brisbane
15-18 September, Australia A v India A, Allan Border Field, Brisbane