T20 World Cup 2024: Australia's young dynamic opening batter Jake Fraser-McGurk has been included in the final squad for the 2024 T20 World Cup, set to take place in the United States and the Caribbean from June 1. Initially left out, Fraser-McGurk has been added as a travelling reserve along with another batter, Matt Short. His highly anticipated call-up follows an impressive debut season in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) season 2024 , where he consistently scored runs at an impressively high strike rate.
22-year-old McGurk played nine matches in the IPL 2024, scoring 330 runs at an average of 36.67 and a stupendous strike rate of 234.04 which is best amongst the batters with over 100 runs. Before the IPL, he gained fame with a 29-ball century in a domestic One-Day Cup match. He also scored the fastest fifty of the IPL 2024 when he took on the Sunrisers Hyderabad bowlers to score a half-century in just 15 balls.
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Australia Coach All Praises For Jake Fraser-McGurk & Matt Short
Australia coach Andrew McDonald highlighted Jake Fraser-McGurk's impressive IPL performance, stating he was a strong contender for the final squad. McDonald also praised Matthew Short for his consistent BBL form and promising international appearances, despite sometimes having to play different roles.
"You look at Jake's form in the IPL – he took that by storm and he was a serious consideration for the final 15. And so was Matthew Short. His BBL form has been outstanding over a long period of time and he's shown glimpses at the international level as well, albeit at times he's had to play a different role,” Australia coach Andrew McDonald told cricket.com.au.
Australia's T20 World Cup 2024 squad: 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.
Travelling reserves: Jake Fraser-McGurk, Matt Short