T20 World Cup 2024: Ricky Ponting ‘surprised’ on Australian star’s exclusion from squad

Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting was “surprised” by the exclusion of Jake Fraser-McGurk from the Aussies’ T20 World Cup 2024 squad which is set to be played in the United States and West Indies from June 1.

Fraser-McGurk has been on fire in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 as the right-handed batter has amassed 309 runs in just seven innings at an impressive strike rate of 235.87, which is fourth best in the tournament.

Ponting, who is Delhi Capitals (DC) head coach, stated that the youngster could’ve been a useful option to open the innings alongside Travis Head for Australia in the World Cup.

“Everyone's been pretty impressed with Jake Fraser Mcgurk, he's an ultra-talented kid, and I was a little surprised he was not included in the Australian squad. Had he and Travis Head walked out together it would have been something else," the World Cup-winning captain said in a press conference.

However, Fraser-McGurk has no regrets about not making it to Australia’s World Cup as the youngster believes that he wasn't even in a position to think he had earned a place in the 15-man squad.

“The communication was really good,” Fraser-McGurk told Willow Talk podcast. “There are two ways you can look at it. You can look at it through, ’this is what I’ve done to prove my case,’ and then there’s also, ’look, a month and a half ago I wasn’t even in the picture.'

“The communication was really good. There are two ways you can look at it. You can look at it through, ’this is what I’ve done to prove my case,’ and then there’s also, ’look, a month and a half ago I wasn’t even in the picture.'

“They probably had a good idea of what [the squad] was a month and a half ago, trying to build that and get the connection in the team. And it’s also hard to fit in. You’ve got David Warner, our best opener ever in three formats. You’ve got Travis Head, who is lighting it up over here and has lit it up over the past 18 months.

“I can’t really see myself batting five or six because we’re pretty set there with Tim David, Cam Green and those sort of blokes. That’s the way I think about it. That’s fine," he added.