"Everything happened so quickly...": DC's Fraser-McGurk opens on rise to stardom

Australian batting sensation McGurk, who slammed the fastest List-A cricket century in just 29 balls last year in October, broke the record of 31-ball century set by South African legend AB de Villiers, played a knock of 55 runs in 35 balls in his IPL debut against the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on April 12.

He followed his List-A exploits 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'.

Fraser McGurk recalled that he did not have a state contract an year back. He had broken through as a young 16-year-old prodigy for Victoria in 2019, scoring fifties on List A and first-class debut, but he was pushed down the pecking order due to inconsistency.

"I did not even have a state contract," Fraser-McGurk told ESPNcricinfo.

Ahead of the 2022-23 season, McGurk moved to South Australia to start afresh and since then has become a ferocious ball striker who has received appreciation from great Ricky Ponting and Glenn Maxwell.

"I was not going anywhere, I felt like I was falling behind a bit," he said of his stint with Victoria from 2019-20.

"The rookie contract they offered me was a massive downgrade, I would not find myself even in the second team. That is when I decided to pursue opportunities elsewhere and luckily, South Australia came knocking. I could not have said yes any quicker."

In February, Ricky Ponting texted him to come to the Delhi Capitals as a replacement player.

"I said 'yes' quickly. It was a nerve-wracking few days. My manager had a lot of stress in getting the paperwork sorted for my visa," said McGurk.

He had gone unsold in the IPL auctions last year, but he had played for DC's sister franchise, the Dubai Capitals, in the International League T20 (ILT20) in the UAE last year.

In February, the young batter made his international debut during an ODI series against the West Indies, where he scored an 18-ball 41 in one of the matches. After a List-A record, a breakthrough BBL season and a strong impression with the Australian national side, McGurk looked set for big things. Then arrived the IPL.

Fraser-McGurk said that everything has happened really quickly, leaving him with no time to reflect on his "amazing journey.".

"Everything's happened so quickly. I have not really had the time to reflect on it. It has been an amazing journey so far this year, but cricket is a funny game. It can go back and forth, but as long as I am learning and making my opportunities count, I cannot see anything bad happening," he said.

In 2019, Fraser McGurk was a part of the development squad sent by Cricket Australia to train at Chennai's MRF Pace Foundation, where he had a fine time soaking in the "madness for cricket.".

The batter said that he has not looked at cricket as a "work or a chore" ever. During his formative years, it was great for the batter that his parents were into sports. His father was into tennis while his mother played netball.

"From when I was 10, maybe, cricket was always a massive part of me. Mum was a netball player; dad was a semi-professional tennis player. He also played cricket in the summers. In fact, we played for the same club," he said.

"When I was 11 or 12, we both played in the same team. He opened the bowling, I kept wickets. I remember he picked up a five-for and I hit a fifty in the same game. Cricket was always fun. We would finish matches, hop over to McDonalds for a burger. It was fun," said McGurk.

Growing up, he would often spent his hours imitating Aussie great Michael Clarke's playing style. McGurk said that he followed Clarke for his fleunt style, while he looked upto opener David Warner for his power game. Over some time, he has formed a strong bond of friendship with Warner.

"I loved the way he played, the fluency, the shots, the way he would work the ball around. I watched Clarke for his fluency, Davey for his power and talent," said the batter.

"Being a young guy, growing up and watching him take the bowlers on, it probably helped me in the way I play now. What he has done for cricket and personally for me, it is amazing. I have been able to spend a lot of time with Davey (Warner) in the IPL. I am always having meals with him, playing golf with him, we are always together," he added.

"I was running drinks during an ODI between Australia and England at the Adelaide Oval. I was one of the subs and I went in to give him drinks with my best friend, Mackenzie Harvey. He (Warner) was past a 100 or something and he said to Heady [Travis Head] - 'it's not often you get to bat with me when I am on 100, make it count, mate'."

"And I do not know why but I started laughing. Davey cracked up as well and that day he came up to me and chatted quite a bit. And I was not even like a squad member, just a sub called in to do drinks duties. From then on, he has always looked out for me. He has time for everyone," he concluded his point.

Untill his move to South Australia, McGurk was known as a player whose U19 World Cup 2020 ended after being scratched on his face by a monkey.

"We were at a nature reserve looking at all these different animals," he says with a laugh recalling the incident.

"We got to a place where everyone was feeding monkeys. I got too close to the cage and the monkey I was feeding ate all the food that was on my palm. I was looking at him through the cage and then suddenly he scratched me in the eye and cut my bottom eye lid. I had to get various treatments which were safer in Melbourne, so I had to fly home," he added.

But since then, McGurk has clearly come very far. He said that it is amazing to see Rishabh Pant, his DC captain and other international stars, go about their business in the IPL and he wants to learn from them.

"It is amazing to see them go to work in real life. I had seen it on social media. To see how they are in real life is different. It is an amazing culture, how cricket brings everyone together in India," said McGurk.

"Last night, I was hitting sixes with Pant. We were having a bit of a competition with each other. He obviously won, but it is just incredible how I can learn so much off him, and the others at 22. I could not have dreamt of it long ago," he said.

McGurk said that he does not think about future that much.

"Even if I am not playing, my mantra is what I can do to help the team. It is important to have that team-first attitude and not worry too much about what the future holds. The rest will take care of itself," he concluded. (ANI)