Australia announced their final T20 World Cup 2024 roster before the May 25 deadline. They added Jake Fraser-McGurk and Matthew Short as traveling reserves, but they retained the same 15 players from their initial selection. In an ICC (International Cricket Council) tournament, Mitchell Marsh will be captaining Australia for the first time. The Australian skipper hopes to lead them to their second championship with a well-rounded team at his disposal.
Many cricket fans wanted to see Fraser-McGurk play for Australia in the prestigious ICC event following his spectacular performance in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 for the Delhi Capitals. The right-handed hitter will, however, have to settle for a reserve role.
The 22-year-old, who participated in nine IPL 2024 matches, amassed 330 runs at a remarkable strike rate of 234.04 and an outstanding average of 36.67. He gained notoriety prior to the IPL after smashing a century off 29 balls in a domestic One-Day Cup match. The young player also displayed excellent play in the International League T20 (ILT20) and the Big Bash League (BBL).
Cricket.com.au cited Australia head coach Andrew McDonald as saying, “You look at Jake’s form in the IPL—he took that by storm, and he was a serious consideration for the final 15.”
Also read: Australia’s T20 World Cup squad in 2024
Tanveer Sangha, an injured leg-spinner, was not selected; instead, Short won the BBL’s Player of the Tournament award.
Likewise, Matthew Short was. He has had flashes of brilliance at the international level over a prolonged period of time, despite occasionally needing to play a different role. His BBL form has also been exceptional. He is clearly best suited at the front of the order, and Jake is most likely similarly placed as well, which is why neither player was selected in the first 15. But if something changes, we think both of them could be able to line up anywhere in that batting order,” McDonald said of the team.
Australia’s T20 World Cup squad:
Mitchell 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, and Adam Zampa.