Fraser-McGurk gets nod for Australia-UK tour

SYDNEY: Young batsman Jake Fraser-McGurk was selected Monday for Australia’s white-ball tour of the UK in place of the retired David Warner, as selectors gave pace spearhead Pat Cummins a “preplanned” rest. Mitchell Marsh will be captain for the September trip which will start with three Twenty20 internationals against Scotland before three Twenty20 and five one-day internationals against England. Former captain Steve Smith, who was overlooked for the T20 World Cup earlier this year, will play only in the 50-over format.

Test skipper Cummins “will miss the entirety of the UK tour in line with a pre-planned, long-term load management strategy”, Cricket Australia said in naming the squads. Destructive opening batsman Fraser-McGurk, 22, made his one-day international debut earlier this year and had been a travelling reserve at the Twenty20 World Cup but now gets his chance after veteran Warner stepped away at the end of the tournament.

Explosive all-rounder Cooper Connolly, 20, is also in line to make his T20 debut but veteran wicketkeeper Matthew Wade was left out. “This tour gives us a great opportunity to bring in some new players,” said chair of selectors George Bailey.

“We are particularly pleased to offer Cooper his first opportunity in the T20 squad having introduced the likes of Jake (Fraser McGurk), Spencer (Johnson), Xavier (Bartlett) and Aaron (Hardie) in the past 12 months. “They are exciting prospects to join the likes of Cameron Green, Nathan Ellis and Josh Inglis in the white ball set-up.