Exciting Australian Prospects Set for T20I Debut Against West Indies
Batsman Jake Fraser-McGurk has been selected for the Australian squad and is expected to make his T20I debut in the third and final match against West Indies on 13 February.
Fast bowler Wes Agar has also been added to the squad for the final match, as Josh Hazlewood returns to Sydney to prepare for the upcoming tour of New Zealand.
Australia Squad for the Final T20I:
Mitchell Marsh (c), Wes Agar, Xavier Bartlett, Jason Behrendorff, Tim David, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Aaron Hardie, Josh Hazlewood, Josh Inglis, Spencer Johnson, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Adam Zampa.
Both Fraser-McGurk and Wes Agar have made their ODI debuts but are yet to be capped in the shortest format. Fraser-McGurk showcased his explosive batting skills in his second international match, scoring an 18-ball 41 in the third ODI against the Windies.
The right-handed batsman has had a memorable year, shining in the Big Bash League and the ILT20 before being selected for the Australian national team.
“I told (South Australia coach) Jason Gillespie: ‘I want to be a three-format player for Australia later in my career’, that’s my goal, I’m working towards that,” Fraser-McGurk said after his impressive performance against West Indies.
“I didn’t expect it to happen this quickly, but 12 months is a long time in cricket and to be rewarded with some selection, it’s really pleasing to me and my family.”
BOX OFFICE!
Jake Fraser-McGurk launches three over the fence in the over #AUSvWI pic.twitter.com/vGzaRRFrul
The 21-year-old has already received praise from cricket legends, including Ricky Ponting, who has endorsed Fraser-McGurk for the longer formats.
“When you’ve got that sort of talent you need to be exposed to cricket at the highest level to work it out and I think Jake can do that yet,” Ponting said last week.
“The natural talent that he’s got reminds me a bit of David Warner’s introduction into Australian cricket.”
“I’m definitely backing (him) one day to play Test cricket.”
Australia has secured an unassailable 2-0 lead against West Indies in a high-scoring T20I series. In each of the two T20Is, both teams surpassed the 200-run mark, with Australia managing to secure victories in both matches.