Jake Fraser-McGurk career at crossroads after SA snubbing

Jake Fraser-McGurk will remain on the outer of South Australia’s Sheffield Shield team once more after SA opted against recalling the Australian white-ball opener.

Jake Fraser-McGurk will remain on the outer of South Australia’s Sheffield Shield team once more with SA opting against recalling the Australian white-ball opener for its pink-ball clash with Western Australia beginning on Saturday.

While Spencer Johnson is poised to make his first-class return in the clash with WA at Adelaide Oval, it’s understood 22-year-old Fraser-McGurk has missed selection for the match despite the absence of Travis Head and Nathan McSweeney for Test duties and the fact SA was heavily beaten in its last start against NSW.

He has also been unable to move past Daniel Drew, Conor McInerney, Thomas Kelly or in-form veteran Jake Lehmann.

Jake Fraser-McGurk has missed selection for the match despite the absence of Travis Head and Nathan McSweeney. Picture: AFP

Fraser-McGurk, who will go under the hammer at the Indian Premier League auction that begins in Saudi Arabia on Sunday, was bypassed for SA’s first two Shield matches of the season and then been unavailable for its next couple of games due to Australian white-ball commitments.

An IPL sensation with Delhi earlier this year, the opener did not pass 20 in his six games against Pakistan across one-day international and T20 cricket this month.

He has a first-class average of 18.96 although he did post a Shield century against his former state Victoria last year.

Australia's Jake Fraser-McGurkdid not pass 20 in his six games against Pakistan across one-day international and T20 cricket this month. Picture: AFP

WA has meanwhile included nationally-contracted pace pair Jhye Richardson and Lance Morris to return to the first-class arena after steady build-ups on their respective roads back from injury.

Neither has played a Shield game in a year. That Johnson, Morris and Richardson are all set to feature in the game is a pleasing sign for national selectors keen to develop pace depth given Australia is about to embark on the first of seven Tests inside three months.

Ashton Agar has been ruled out for several weeks with an AC joint injury suffered in WA’s loss to Victoria.

Originally published as Jake Fraser-McGurk career at crossroads after SA snubbing