“We will continue monitoring several players who have missed out on this preliminary squad and note that if we wish to change this squad, we have the option to do so over the coming weeks in accordance with ICC regulations.”
With seven victories from eight matches since taking over leadership of the T20 side last August, Marsh will continue to lead Australia’s team despite a poor start to the IPL with the Delhi Capitals, coached by Ricky Ponting.
Marsh managed just 61 runs and one wicket in four matches before being sent home to recover from a hamstring injury, opening the door for Fraser-McGurk, 22, to make his IPL debut.
He was moved up to open the batting when David Warner, who has also had a modest campaign, was ruled out with a hand injury. He is expected to be fit to resume shortly.
Fraser-McGurk has the highest strike rate in the competition – 233 – of any player who has scored 100 runs or more. He has made 259 runs in six matches, which included a blazing 84 from just 27 balls last week with 11 fours and six sixes.
His lack of experience and concerns about the consistency of his high-octane batting approach since moving from Victoria to South Australia, however have left Fraser-McGurk on the selectors’ wait-and-see list.
His only two internationals were one-day games against the West Indies in Australia last February, which included 41 from 18 balls in the second match.
Travis Head is Australia’s leading batsman in the IPL.Credit: AP
Four years in the Big Bash for the Melbourne Renegades see him average 18 with a strike rate of 124, but his most recent season produced 257 runs at 32 with a strike rate of 159.
The IPL shaped as an ideal warm-up for Australia’s T20 players but few have prospered. This is of concern given Australia missed the semi-finals of the previous Twenty20 World Cup, hosted in Australia 18 months ago, after going in as defending champions.
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Australia’s leading batsman in this current IPL is Travis Head, opening the batting for Sunrisers Hyderabad, led by Australia’s Test and one-day captain Pat Cummins.
Head is currently 11th among the tournament’s overall run-scorers with 338 runs at 42 and a strike rate of 211. The next Australian is veteran all-rounder Marcus Stoinis (15th with 316 runs at 40 and a strike rate of 152, thanks to a recent rapid century) and then Fraser McGurk (24th).
Green was dropped by Royal Chargers Bengaluru at one stage while last year’s World Cup hero Glenn Maxwell was playing so poorly he dropped himself.
Despite setting a new record for the most expensive player in the IPL at $4.43 million, Mitchell Starc has struggled to make an impact, claiming seven wickets at 47 with an economy rate of 12.
Australia’s Twenty20 World Cup squad: Travis Head, David Warner, Mitchell Marsh (c), Glenn Maxwell, Tim David, Marcus Stoinis, Cameron Green, Matt Wade, Josh Inglis, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Ellis, Ashton Agar, Adam Zampa.
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