Jake Fraser-McGurk and Wes Agar added to Australia's squad for the final T20I against West Indies
Uncapped T20I players Jake Fraser-McGurk and Wes Agar have been included in Australia's squad for the third and final T20I against the West Indies. The Aussies have already attained an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series, courtesy of their wins in high-scoring encounters in Hobart and Adelaide.
Fraser-McGurk's rapid rise saw him play a couple of ODIs during the three-match series against West Indies recently, where he made his early mark in international cricket with a set of entertaining cameos. The explosive opening batter has shown immense promise with his aggressive batting and is likely to make his debut in the upcoming T20I clash as well, potentially partnering David Warner at the top of the order.
As far as Agar is concerned, he played four matches in the 2023-24 Big Bash League (BBL) season, claiming two wickets. The pacer's sole international endeavor for the national side came during the tour of the Caribbean in 2021, where he played a couple of ODI matches, but went wicketless.
Apart from the inclusion of Agar and Fraser-McGurk, the Australian squad also features another minor change. Josh Hazlewood has been released from the squad to prepare for the upcoming series against New Zealand. The ace pacer has reportedly returned home to Sydney and commenced his training for the tour that begins on February 21.
“Although we’ve won the series, we want to win 3-0. That represents an exciting opportunity for us," Australia skipper Mitchell Marsh said ahead of the third T20I against West Indies in Perth.
Australia are on the lookout to record their sixth consecutive T20I win over the West Indies, a streak which began in 2021. The Windies' final contest of their tour of Australia is scheduled to take place in Perth on Tuesday, February 13.
Jake Fraser-McGurk is touted as the next big thing in Australian cricket
The likes of Glenn Maxwell, David Warner, and Ricky Ponting have all spoken highly of Jake Fraser-McGurk, who holds the record for the fastest List-A ton.
Apart from his maiden international appearance in the ODI series against the West Indies, the youngster was also in full flow during the ILT20 for the Dubai Capitals.
Australia updated squad for the third T20I against the West Indies
Mitchell Marsh (c), Wes Agar, Xavier Bartlett, Jason Behrendorff, Tim David, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Aaron Hardie, Josh Hazlewood, Josh Inglis, Spencer Johnson, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Adam Zampa.
Will Australia record a whitewash against the West Indies to conclude their home summer? Let us know what you think.