Rising Australian cricket star Jake Fraser-McGurk has lost one of his most vocal backers in Ricky Ponting.
The Aussie icon has gone cold on the 22-year-old’s future and his place in the squad for the opening Champions Trophy clash.
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Fraser-McGurk endured a horror run during Australia’s two-game ODI series against Sri Lanka.
The Aussies were blown off the park in both contests with Fraser-McGurk being dismissed for just two and nine runs.
In total across seven one-day appearances the youngster has only managed to score 98 runs. It’s his form with the willow for the Aussies that has Ponting questioning his place in the squad.
“He’s making it harder and harder (for selectors to pick him),” Ponting said on The ICC Review.
“He’s not had the greatest of summers. I mean, there’s just so much talent there.
“There’s so much ability and skill and talent that we haven’t sort of seen consistently enough just yet.
“And that’s one of the big calls (the Australian selectors) are going to have to make now as well.”
Ponting had previously dubbed the youngster as the next David Warner and said when he’s on song he can win a tournament for you.
“That’s what the Australians, I think, would be saying,” Ponting said.
“The coaches would be saying that to him.
“We’ll see which way they decide to go at the start of the tournament.”
If the Aussies ultimately elect to swing the axe and drop him, it could force a major reshuffle of the batting line-up with Steve Smith a possibility of moving to an opening slot.
“Do they think about opening the batting with Steve Smith,” Ponting said.
“Because of how well he’s done in white ball cricket when he has opened the batting.
“(Smith) could be someone that could be an anchor through this Champions Trophy at the top of the order. And you know that with the form that he’s in, he’s going to make big runs.”
Australia’s Champions Trophy campaign gets underway on Saturday against England with the Aussies entering the clash missing a host of big name stars.
Injuries and withdrawals have hit the squad hard with Pat Cummins, Mitch Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Mitch Marsh and Marcus Stoinis among those missing.
Along with a host of stars missing, the Aussies are coming off a nightmare lead in which saw them suffer a historic loss to Sri Lanka.
Despite all that, Travis Head is confident everyone on the squad can shift into gear quickly.
“There have been a few guys who have been in the Test team over the summer. They haven’t played a lot of white-ball cricket (recently), but those guys are pretty versatile and have played a lot of international cricket
“Then the guys coming in have come off a Big Bash summer. They’ve played a lot of white-ball cricket – I know it’s T20 cricket … but I feel we’ll be in a good position.
“I feel like we’re experienced enough in that batting unit that the guys that have been playing red-ball cricket can transition pretty well and have done in the past.”
Australia will play England, South Africa and Afghanistan in the pool matches at the Champions Trophy.
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