Australian T20I captain Mitchell Marsh has backed young opener Jake Fraser-McGurk ahead of the T20I series against England that begins in Southampton on September 11.
Fraser-McGurk had a tough start to his T20I career as he managed just 16 runs in 3 matches in his debut T20I series.
This series was their first since the retirement of David Warner, who Fraser-McGurk is expected to replace. However, they did manage two draws in the series against Scotland.
This was in contrast to his ODI debut, where he scored 41 runs off just 18 balls in just his second ODI to lead Australia to an incredible victory over the West Indies.
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Mitchell Marsh backs Jake Fraser-McGurk ahead of England T20I
Despite his failures in Scotland’s T20Is, Mitchell Marsh has backed Jake Fraser-McGurk to have a successful career.
While speaking to reporters ahead of the first T20I against England in Southampton, Marsh asserted that Jake Fraser-McGurk has a big future ahead of him and he will learn by spending more time in the Australian dressing room.
“We know he’s an exciting talent and he has a big future. I love what he’s brought to our team, both on and off the field so far. He’s a very good young man and he’s going to learn a lot in this environment,” Marsh told reporters.
The Australian captain also said Fraser-McGurk is good at international level and does not need to prove it to anyone.
“From our perspective and from our team environment, Jake doesn’t have any pressure to do anything. He doesn’t need to prove to anyone that he’s good enough at this level,” Marsh added.
“They picked him here for a reason,” Mitchell Marsh on Jake Fraser-McGurk
The 32-year-old further mentioned that international cricket is tough and there is no need to put extra pressure on the player. He wants the youngster to learn and enjoy the moment.
“He was chosen here for a reason, and international cricket is hard enough without putting pressure on people, so we want him to enjoy it, learn as much as he can and take every opportunity he gets,” Marsh said.
Jake Fraser-McGurk is a fantastic batsman who has the ability to tear apart the opposition with his hard hitting.
In IPL 2024, he was in top form for Delhi Capitals as he scored 330 runs in 9 matches at an average of 36.66 and a blistering strike rate of 234.04. He was also named in Australia’s squad for the 2024 T20 World Cup on the reserve list.
The youngster will be eager to have a big series against England as his debut T20I series against Scotland did not go as expected.
However, it will not be an easy task for him to take on the English bowlers on their own terms. After the T20I series, he is likely to take part in the five-match ODI series as well.
