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Australian opener David Warner said on Friday that young opening batter Jake Fraser McGurk is a long-term prospect for the national senior team, and added that every team needs someone like him who can play with freedom.
McGurk made his debut for Australia in the ODI series against West Indies this month. While he scored just 10 runs on his ODI debut, he managed to score an 18-ball 41 in the final ODI and impressed with his hitting. Speaking during the first T20I against West Indies, Warner said that McGurk thinks that he can hit every ball for a four and six and has clarity in his mind. "He thinks that he can hit every ball for a four or a six. He has a clear mind, he plays with freedom and you need people like that in every team. He is great to have in the team. The more exposure he gets at the highest level, if he gets an opportunity in the ODI team he can certainly be a 10-year player. He will go a long way if he can back himself, he certainly has the skillset for that," Warner said. The 21-year-old came to the limelight last year after smashing a 29-ball century during Marsh One Day Cup for South Australia against Tasmania, breaking the record of 31-ball century of South African legend AB de Villiers against West Indies for the fastest List A century. He followed it with 257 runs in nine games in the Big Bash League (BBL) season 2023-24 with two fifties and a strike rate of over 158 to earn a spot in the 'Team of the Tournament'. In 20 List A matches, McGurk has scored 525 runs in 18 innings at an average of 32.81, with a century and fifty. His strike rate of over 143 is a standout aspect of his batting in a 50-over format. In 37 T20Is, he has made 645 runs at an average of 20.15 with a strike rate of over 133, with three fifties. In 13 first-class games, McGurk has scored 515 runs at an average of 22.39 and a strike rate of 64.53, with a century and a fifty. (ANI)
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