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HomeCricket NewsWhy is Jake Fraser-McGurk not in Australia's T20 World Cup squad?

Why is Jake Fraser-McGurk not in Australia’s T20 World Cup squad?

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Last Updated on 10 months by Charbel Coorey

Cricket News: A look at why Australia opted to leave Jake Fraser-McGurk out of the initial 15-man squad for the T20 World Cup

Young gun Jake Fraser-McGurk has been left out of Australia’s squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup. The move may come as a surprise to many given Fraser-McGurk’s incredible form over the past eight months, which includes the fastest-ever List A century and 259 runs from his first six IPL matches at a strike rate of 233.33.

However, Australia opted for experience in the initial 15-man squad. The tournament will be David Warner’s farewell from international cricket, while all-rounders Cameron Green, Marcus Stoinis and captain Mitch Marsh have all been selected.

Australia’s squad for the T20 World Cup: No Jake Fraser-McGurk

Mitch Marsh (c), Ashton Agar, Pat Cummins, Tim David, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Adam Zampa.

The call to leave Fraser-McGurk out is sure to split opinion. The 22-year-old has been outstanding, but his lack of experience on the kind of slow pitches expected in the West Indies and USA, plus Australia’s top order options, have ultimately resulted in the selectors opting for more seasoned players.

George Bailey, chair of the selection panel, mentioned the fact that Fraser-McGurk is yet to play a T20 International. Also, Bailey is unsure of Fraser-McGurk’s middle order credentials.

“His [McGurk] form’s been great of late, and that’s fantastic, but the way we’re functioning at the top of the order with the three guys we’ve had there has been really strong as well.

“I’m not sure how much work he’s done in other positions, but it certainly looks like the top of the order is where he’s best suited,” Bailey said.

The chairman of selectors also spoke of other players who were strongly considered. Australia, like other teams, do have the option of changing their squad in the next few weeks should a need arise.

“Steve Smith, Matt Short, Jason Behrendorff, Aaron Hardie, Spencer Johnson and Xavier Bartlett were all part of long conversations, along with several others including Jake Fraser-McGurk, who is yet to play T20 International cricket but continues to impress and is developing rapidly.”

“Being constrained to a squad of 15 for World Cups is always a challenge given the different scenarios and options we’d like to cover,” he continued. “We will continue monitoring several players who have missed out on this preliminary squad and note that if we wish to change this squad, we have the option to do so over the coming weeks in accordance with ICC regulations.

“Ultimately the balance of the final 15 needs to provide the best chance of being successful in this campaign.”

Australia’s T20 World Cup campaign will kick off against Oman in Barbados on June 5. Also in Australia’s group are England, Namibia, and Scotland. The top two teams will advance through to the Super Eight stage.

Charbel Coorey
Charbel Cooreyhttps://cricblog.net
Charbel is the owner & founder of cricblog.net, based in Sydney, Australia. He started the website to fulfill his love for the game of cricket. Charbel has been featured on other publications including OP India, Times of India, and The Roar, among others. He is also a keen fantasy sports player. Charbel has also had the privilege of interviewing cricketers on the CricBlog TV YouTube channel, including James Neesham, Rassie van der Dussen, Andrew Tye, Shreyas Gopal, Jaydev Unadkat and Saurabh Netravalkar: https://www.youtube.com/@cricblogtv For any story tips or questions, you can contact Charbel at charbelcoorey@cricblog.net.

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