David Warner was bagged last year when he said he’d be keen to play the Champions Trophy despite retiring from ODI cricket. But 12 months later, Aussie fans are actually suggesting selectors should have taken him up on the offer in fear we’ll be humiliated in Pakistan.
Steve Smith’s side were thrashed by 174 runs against Sri Lanka on Friday – their biggest-ever loss in Asia and first time they’ve been swept in an ODI series against Sri Lanka (2-0). There are serious concerns about how the Aussies will fare in the Champions Trophy in Pakistan, with particular worries over the top order.
Matt Short (2) and Jake Fraser-McGurk (9) failed to fire once again, and look way out of their depth at ODI level. Both were picked in the ODI team on the back of T20 form in the BBL, but don’t appear to have what it takes at international 50-over level.
Short has now played 13 ODIs for a top score of 58 and average of 17.90. His average in all 50-over cricket (including domestic one-dayers) is just 32.06. Fraser-McGurk’s average in seven career ODIs is just 14, and he’s never batted past the fifth over while playing for Australia.
In all 50-over cricket his average is just 26.09, and he was initially left out of the Champions Trophy squad when it was first named in January. But with Mitch Marsh pulling out injured and Marcus Stoinis retiring from ODI cricket, the 22-year-old won a recall.
Last September, Ricky Ponting declared that Fraser-McGurk was Australia’s next Warner after coaching him in the Indian Premier League with the Delhi Capitals. But that was based off T20 form.
“He hasn’t set the international scene on fire yet, but he will,” Ponting said. “He hits the ball as cleanly and as hard as anyone I think I’ve ever seen. He needs a bit of refinement with his batting. He almost stands like a baseballer all the time and he’s got very much almost a single hitting plane that he’s got to keep continually working on to keep opening up different areas of the ground.”