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Short Ruled Out; Fraser-McGurk In As Australia Announces Playing XI Against West Indies

Soumyajit Dutta

Matthew Short ruled out and JFM gets a chance to play in West Indies T20I [Source: @kanikashetty/X.com]Matthew Short ruled out and JFM gets a chance to play in West Indies T20I [Source: @kanikashetty/X.com]

In a significant blow to Australia's squad, all-rounder Matt Short has been ruled out of Australia's T20 series opener against the West Indies in Jamaica due to a minor side strain sustained in training. As per official news, he has returned home for recovery.

Jake Fraser-McGurk, initially a late call-up as cover, will now open the batting in Short's absence. Mitch Owen, the Hobart Hurricanes' BBL final hero, will make his international debut in the middle order as originally planned. Tim David (hamstring) is also rested for the first game, with Cooper Connolly set to bat at number seven.

Jake Fraser-McGurk Gets His Golden Chance

Fraser-McGurk, added to the squad after Spencer Johnson withdrew, gets a significant opportunity to reignite his international career. The 23-year-old starred last summer with a record-breaking 29-ball List A century but has managed 113 runs from seven T20Is so far. 

Nevertheless, he comes into the tour off a mixed Major League Cricket stint. He scored 275 runs off his 11 matches in the MLC. Notably, he hit at a strike rate of 169.75 while bearing an average run of 25.

When Can Matthew Short Return To The Scene?

Short is expected to return for Australia's home white-ball series against South Africa starting August 10th. 

Notably, Short's injury, along with the absence of Test stars Travis Head, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Mitch Starc, and Josh Hazlewood, who has been rested after the Test series win, creates openings for fringe players ahead of next year's T20 World Cup.

Marsh on Opportunities and Culture

Captain Mitch Marsh emphasized the dual focus of winning and developing players. "First and foremost, it's always 'we're representing Australia, we're here to win the series' and culturally, that's how we want to go about it," Marsh said in a statement released by Cricket Australia.

With five matches in nine days across Jamaica and St Kitts, the revised Australian lineup gets its first test immediately on July 20.

Australia's Playing XI For 1st T20 Against West Indies

Mitch Marsh (c), Jake Fraser-McGurk, Josh Inglis (wk), Cameron Green, Glenn Maxwell, Mitch Owen, Cooper Connolly, Ben Dwarshuis, Sean Abbott, Nathan Ellis, Adam Zampa