Ricky Ponting has given his opinion and supported the inclusion of young batter Jake Fraser McGurk as the ideal replacement of Matthew Short at the top of Australia’s batting order in the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025. Short sustained an injury during Australia’s group stage match against Afghanistan which has ruled him out of the tournament.
Cooper Connally was announced as Matthew Short’s replacement due to his ability to both bat and ball considering Dubai’s spin friendly pitches. But Ponting believes Fraser McGurk is the best fit for the role. Ponting acknowledged all the other possible options within Australia’s current Playing XI but ultimately picked Jake Fraser McGurk.
Ricky Ponting Backs Jake Fraser McGurk
“He can slot straight into that position,” he said in the latest edition of The ICC Review.
“To be honest, that’s the way I would probably go and just hope that he has one of his days because in games like these, the semi-finals, must-win, big games, you need to throw caution to the wind.
“I think he’s the sort of player that if you back him, and give him an opportunity, he might just be good enough to win a big game for you like that.”
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Fraser McGurk Can Bat Like He Did For Delhi Capitals
“He probably has been a little bit disappointed with his output in the opportunities that he’s had in the last six months,” Ponting said. “So this might just be the game where he can do something…like he did in the IPL with the Delhi Capitals last season.”
The aggressive right-hander, who is approaching his 23rd birthday, has already featured in seven ODIs for Australia, boasting an impressive strike rate of 132. However, his overall returns have been modest, averaging just 14 runs with a highest score of 41.
