Cricket Australia has added Delhi Capital's young star batter Jake Fraser-McGurk and all-rounder Matthew Short to the traveling reserves for the upcoming T20 World Cup in the West Indies starting June 1. Fraser-McGurk has been in tremendous form for his IPL franchise this season, accumulating over 330 runs in just 9 innings at a blistering strike rate of over 230. His talent and consistency have caught the eye of national selectors.
Short also delivered impressive performances for Australia last summer and gives the team an additional bowling option. National selector George Bailey stated that the short turnaround between matches at a global tournament like the World Cup could pose challenges in terms of getting replacement players at short notice in case of injuries. Both Fraser-McGurk and Short will travel with the squad and provide valuable cover in case they are needed as injury replacements. Their inclusion will also help continue their development at the international level even while not being part of the main fifteen-member squad.
A number of Australian stars who played in the IPL playoff stages like skipper Aaron Finch, David Warner, Glenn Maxwell and Pat Cummins will join the team later as they look to gain valuable rest following the conclusion of the cash-rich league. The World Cup preparations will kick off with an initial training camp in Trinidad before practice matches against Namibia and the West Indies on May 28th and 30th respectively.
The additional cover players along with the star-studded squad make Australia one of the strongfavorites to successfully defend their T20 World Cup crown. With a mix of youth and experience across departments, they will fancy their chances of capturing a seventh title in the shortest format's flagship tournament.
