'Agar effect' drowns Pirates of the Caribbean charm in TV stakes Down Under

Teenage Australian cricket sensation Ashton Agar is being touted as the reason behind huge demand for Ashes tickets down under and an increase in TV ratings for the Ashes in the country, which have even left behind MasterChef Australia and the Pirates of the Caribbean movie.

According to The Daily Telegraph, Agar's agency, Signature Sport, has been flooded with requests from media and sponsors.

However, the report said that people around Agar have insisted that his focus remains solely on his cricket, with him exploring new avenues only at the conclusion of the away series of the Ashes because his performances on the field only had catapulted him into the spotlight.

Meanwhile, a staggering 807,000 viewers watched the first session of the Lord's Test on Channel 9's digital channel Gem on Thursday night, the report added.

A Cricket Australia spokesman said that fans had responded after a gripping first Test in the UK last week and there was enormous excitement around the England tour, with tickets being snapped up to all matches across the country.