No room for ‘really exciting’ Fraser-McGurk in T20 World Cup squad

Jake Fraser-McGurk’s “eye-catching” performances in the IPL may have excited chairman of selectors George Bailey but they did not convert to a place in Australia’s Twenty20 World Cup squad.

Instead Australia’s experienced top three of David Warner, Travis Head and new captain Mitchell Marsh have kept Fraser-McGurk at bay.

This is despite Warner and Marsh struggling with injuries and form in the IPL – the major lead-up tournament to the Twenty20 World Cup, to be held in the West Indies and the USA next month.

“The way we’re functioning at the top of the order with the three guys we’ve had, they’ve been really strong,” Bailey said, indicating it was unlikely Fraser-McGurk would make the cut as a reserve outside the 15-man squad.

He played down concerns about the hamstring injury which forced Marsh’s early return to Australia, giving Fraser-McGurk the chance to make his IPL debut with the Delhi Capitals.

But Bailey was less definitive about the bone bruising which is keeping Warner out of the Capitals team, coached by Ricky Ponting.

“It’s some deep, seated bone bruising. It’s going to take a little bit of time, but I don’t think anyone’s been able to give him a really definitive answer on how long that’ll be,” said Bailey.

There was no room for Steve Smith, whose T20 career continues to fade.

A varied bowling attack will include the left-arm spin of Ashton Agar to complement Adam Zampa’s wrist spin on pitches that are expected to aid turn, and the clever medium pace of Nathan Ellis.

Cameron Green has been chosen despite not firing in India, while veteran Matthew Wade keeps a place in the squad in a wicket-keeping duel with Josh Inglis. Tim David remains the late-order hitter.

Bailey suggested the reserve players were likely to be Matt Short, Spencer Johnson and Tanveer Sangha and acknowledged some of the omissions from recent T20 sides.

Mitchell Marsh (left), Mitchell Starc and David Warner have all performed modestly during this current IPL.

“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,” he said.

Bailey claimed that despite Fraser-McGurk missing out, “the performance he’s putting up are certainly eye catching”.

“He’s really eager to learn and keep growing his game,” said Bailey. “He’s certainly not someone who thinks he’s got it all made and is the complete package. So I think that’s really exciting going forward.”

Fraser-McGurk has the highest strike rate in the competition – 233 – of any player who has scored 100 runs or more. He has made 259 runs in six matches, which included a blazing 84 from just 27 balls last week with 11 fours and six sixes.

His only two internationals were one-day games against the West Indies in Australia last February, which included 41 from 18 balls in the second match.

Travis Head is Australia’s leading batsman in the IPL.

Four years in the Big Bash for the Melbourne Renegades see him average 18 with a strike rate of 124, but his most recent season produced 257 runs at 32 with a strike rate of 159.

The IPL shaped as an ideal warm-up for Australia’s T20 players but few have prospered. This is of concern given Australia missed the semi-finals of the previous Twenty20 World Cup, hosted in Australia 18 months ago, after going in as defending champions.

Australia’s leading batsman in this current IPL is Travis Head, opening the batting for Sunrisers Hyderabad, led by Australia’s Test and one-day captain, Pat Cummins.

Head is currently 11th among the tournament’s overall run-scorers with 338 runs at 42 and a strike rate of 211. The next Australian is veteran all-rounder Marcus Stoinis (15th with 316 runs at 40 and a strike rate of 152, thanks to a recent rapid century) and then Fraser-McGurk (24th).

Green was dropped by Royal Chargers Bengaluru at one stage while World Cup hero Glenn Maxwell was playing so poorly he dropped himself.

Despite setting a new record for the most expensive player in the IPL at $4.43 million, Mitchell Starc has struggled to make an impact, claiming seven wickets at 47 with an economy rate of 12.

Australia’s Twenty20 World Cup squad: Travis Head, David Warner, Mitchell Marsh (c), Glenn Maxwell, Tim David, Marcus Stoinis, Cameron Green, Matt Wade, Josh Inglis, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Ellis, Ashton Agar, Adam Zampa.

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Key points

High-octane tyro Jake Fraser-McGurk has missed Australia’s Twenty20 World Cup squad.

Mitchell Marsh is captain despite form and injury concerns in the IPL.

Travis Head is the best performed of Australia’s batsmen in the IPL.