Image Credit- Getty
Australia’s selectors considered altering their T20 World Cup plans after Jake Fraser-McGurk’s incredible IPL performance, but ultimately determined they could not fit him into the 15-player group that will fly to the Caribbean.
As previously reported, Fraser-McGurk, along with all-rounder Matthew Short, is confirmed to be one of Australia’s two travelling reserves for the World Cup. However, Fraser-McGurk will need to sustain an injury that ends the tournament in order to play a part.
He had been a long shot to be considered for the World Cup, even after an outstanding home summer that included his ODI debut against the West Indies. However, after being called up as a substitute player for the Delhi Capitals, he took the Indian Premier League by storm. He proceeded to smash 330 runs at a mouthwatering strike rate of 234.04, which included two half-centuries in 15 balls.
But because he wasn’t an all-around option and was fighting for a spot in Australia’s well-established top three of David Warner, Travis Head, and captain Mitchell Marsh, he didn’t make the final cut when the initial squad was announced. There were no changes made before the final deadline of May 25.
“There’s no doubt that he did turn our heads and he was a huge discussion when it come to the final 15,” head coach Andrew McDonald told SEN radio. “He was running hot and there’s no doubt he will run hot into the future.
“There’s no doubt what he did in the IPL, he lit it up, he’s an extraordinary talent and he’s going to give fans much delight across the journey. In discussing the 15-man squad, we needed to cover all bases in the way we wanted to play and there was a lot of building that went into that over a period of time.”