Jake Fraser-McGurk is likely to be a travelling reserve member of Australia’s Twenty20 World Cup squad when it departs this week, after Cameron Green showcased why the 22-year-old known as “Rooster” was not selected in the first 15.
Australia’s selectors are set to take up to two reserves with them to the Caribbean, and Fraser-McGurk’s Indian Premier League performances are highly likely to see him squeeze in ahead of Matt Short, who acquitted himself well in nine T20 games for Australia but did not play in the IPL.
Jake Fraser-McGurk has been devastating with the bat for the Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League.Credit: AP
The other spot under consideration is that of a bowler, almost certain to be the gifted young wrist-spinner Tanveer Sangha, as cover for Adam Zampa and Ashton Agar on slow pitches and also as a quality net bowler in training. The deadline for final nomination of World Cup squads is Saturday.
Fraser-McGurk’s inclusion makes most sense in terms of specialist top order cover for David Warner, who has been battling bone bruising in his hand, and captain Mitch Marsh, who is on his way back from a hamstring injury.
It would also afford Fraser-McGurk the opportunity to be called up in much the same way he got his chance with Delhi – contacted by their coach Ricky Ponting and signed up as a late replacement for Lungi Ngidi in March – after he was not purchased at the IPL auction in December.
Fraser-McGurk has provided some clarity about where he sits in the order of preference with a selection panel that is determined not to “chase form” by chopping and changing the team too much: an issue that players have often debated with selectors in the past.
“You’ve got David Warner, our best opener in three formats, you’ve got Travis Head, who is lighting it up over here [at the IPL] and has lit it up the past 18 months, and Mitch Marsh is the same, and he’s also the captain,” Fraser-McGurk told the Willow Talk podcast.
“I can’t really see myself batting at five or six because we’re pretty set there with Tim David, Cam Green; those sorts of guys. The way I think about it is that’s fine, there’s hopefully going to be more time for that [World Cup appearances].”
At the time the World Cup squad was named, Green, Glenn Maxwell, Warner and Marcus Stoinis were among the players questioned for being chosen ahead of Fraser-McGurk, as he went on a tear of unbridled hitting for Delhi Capitals.
But since then, Green’s consistency in a new middle-order role for Royal Challengers Bangalore helped revive their previously flagging campaign. Green clouted 38 from 17 balls batting at number four, then claimed a wicket in his two overs as RCB snared the last place in the IPL finals, knocking out the perennial contenders Chennai Super Kings overnight.
In all-rounders Green and Stoinis (388 runs at a strike rate of 147.52 for the IPL), plus backup wicketkeeper Josh Inglis, the Australians have a highly flexible group of middle-order options, each with more than one tool in their arsenal. Tim David and gloveman Matt Wade are the players cast as late-order batting “finishers”.
Equally heartening for the Australian side was the return of Glenn Maxwell after he effectively dropped himself from the RCB side earlier in the tournament, using the time away to make some technical adjustments to his game after a highly successful but draining previous 12 months.
After a five-ball cameo worth 16 runs, Maxwell opened the bowling for RCB, claimed the wicket of CSK captain Ruturaj Gaekwad first ball and twirled down four overs for just 25 runs. Refreshed by his time out, Maxwell now has the chance to run into some better form with the bat in the finals.
Nathan Lyon, meanwhile, backed up his contention that Australia would have won last year’s Ashes series 4-0 had he not been hobbled by a calf tear during the Lord’s Test.
A meeting between Lyon and Ben Stokes in County cricket lasted a mere eight balls, as the Australian spinner made the most of helpful conditions bowling for Lancashire to have England’s captain in all sorts of bother for Durham before he skewed a sharp catch to second slip.
“I do believe if I was here it would have been 4-0 to Australia,” Lyon told the BBC earlier this month.
“I have been part of two teams that retained the Ashes here, let’s not forget about that. But, yeah, 100 per cent the bucket-list dreams for me are to win Test series here and in India.”
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