Jake Fraser-McGurk has landed a chance to show off his exciting batting talent in the Indian Premier League, having been snapped up as a late replacement by Delhi Capitals.
The 21-year-old Australian prospect has been announced as a late replacement for injured South African paceman Lungi Ngidi for the season that begins next week.
Fraser-McGurk joins Delhi for his base price of INR 50 lakh ($92,000) and will be in a squad that also features three other Australians David Warner, Mitch Marsh and Jhye Richardson.
The team is coached by Ricky Ponting, who’s also a big fan of the South Australia batter and has predicted Fraser-McGurk, who’s also a useful legspinner, could be a star of the future.
“With the talent and the skill that David Warner had, Jake has got as much talent as David had coming through,” Ponting said.
It’s a big opportunity for the youngster who was fast-tracked into the Australia ODI squad, playing his first international matches against the West Indies in February.
He’s also made a name for himself in the BBL, hammering a 21-ball fifty amid 257 runs for the Renegades this season while also scoring the fastest List A hundred, off 29 balls, for South Australia in the Marsh Cup last October.
But despite being highly touted, Fraser-McGurk has had a bit of a lean run in the red-ball game, having scored 0, 1, 16, 2, 14 and 2 in this season’s Sheffield Shield.
Earlier in the week, England batter Harry Brook also pulled out of Derlhi’s squad following the death of his grandmother in February.
The Capitals didn’t name a replacement for Brook, with Melburnian Fraser-McGurk doubtless also seen as a player who could fill a hole left by the English star.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
Hahaha ha
badmanners
Roar Rookie
Colin "Funky" Miller? I haven't seen Cam Green bowl offies, but you never know! :happy:
Macca
Roar Rookie
Are you saying Ponting is a better judge than Don? The fact is Don would be coach of Delhi, but is ignored for the role because he’s from WA.
Boo-urns
Roar Rookie
If McGurk is the next Warner, we need to all agree that he rides off into the sunset when he turns 30.
Jeff
Roar Rookie
Did I overthunk it? :stoked:
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
Ponting has a good radar for talent. The bigger question is the morass of opportunity available to players.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
Look at the "Second Coming of Miller", Green, and how that's been handled.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
It doesn't matter whether they do or not, but the value of a site like this is than when sports reporters are unaware of some aspects of a sport, those of us who do know can bring it to wider attention. Some of you over east resent that information. You needn't let it hurt you.
aerial lizard
Roar Rookie
Age perhaps? Not sure actually, world cup imminent though.
aerial lizard
Roar Rookie
Everything in WA is better Don. It is time eastern states folk realised.
Sportstragic
Roar Rookie
More questions. “Out of my depth’ hahahaha. This is some of your finest work.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
Why not answer them? It’s obvious you have no interest in chatting about sport. The conversation was a valid, cricket-based conversation but when discussion of sport is required, you are out of your depth.
BigGordon
Roar Rookie
The stuff that Waugh and Border talked about learning goes way beyond cricket. Learning under a new coach in completely unfamiliar conditions, learning how elite overseas players go about preparing for any form of cricket, managing day to day with little close support from family/friends, working with guys from different nationalities and learning how to conduct yourself - all at the age of 20 or 21. You're right, it will hardly do anything to promote the skillset needed for red-ball cricket, but hopefully it will make him a more mature cricketer. Others can teach him the cricket basics to be successful in Shield games but learning these sorts of life skills is another matter entirely.
matth
Roar Guru
I was just saying that his poor first class returns are irrelevant to getting an IPL contract
chaukspp
Roar Rookie
This lad seems to have mighty impressed Ricky Ponting. And on Ponting's recommendation, he has managed entry into DC IPL team. Is he that good ? if so, why he is not seen regularly in National teams ?
Sportstragic
Roar Rookie
You just asked me 5 questions. I think maybe it’s time for you to slow down and have a little rest.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
Wow!
Doctor Rotcod
Roar Rookie
The way the Saudis are bankrolling T20 tournaments around the world,a player of moderate talent like Daniel Sam's could play in half a dozen leagues and pick up a chunk in each. What does the Blast pay its overseas players? McGurk, if he had to wait his turn, might play for more than a central contract for a couple of years.
Sgt Pepperoni
Roar Rookie
Your name is a joke
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
Why? Exposing your limited frame of reference hurts you?