Jake Fraser-McGurk in BBL team of the tournament

His team finished near the bottom of the ladder but the breakout star of the Big Bash couldn’t be denied due recognition.

Jake Fraser-McGurk’s growing rockstar status in the Big Bash has been enhanced by selection on the team of the tournament despite playing in a side which only won two games and finished second last.

The 21-year-old blasted his way in to conversations about international selection and on to the radar of T20 franchises around the world by spanking 257 tuns in nine matches with some of the most audacious six-hitting the competition has seen.

His 18 sixes for the Melbourne Renegades was the second-most in the competition, behind only the leading run-scorer, Adelaide Strikers captain Matt Short who swatted 25 and was named skipper of the all-star XI, voted on by the eight team coaches.

Having failed to live up to the hype in his three previous BBL seasons, Fraser-McGurk, owner of the fastest ever century recorded in professional cricket, a feat he achieved for South Australia last October, also earned himself a monster four-year deal with the Renegades as reward for his breakout season.

He was the only player from a team which missed the finals to make the team of the tournament dominated by the Strikers (four players), Brisbane Heat and Perth Scorchers, who each had three players included.

The coaches have selected the official #BBL13 Team of the Tournament! 🙌 pic.twitter.com/mE0olWfgT0

— KFC Big Bash League (@BBL) January 17, 2024

Adelaide leg-spinner Cameron Boyce, only given a chance to play after superstar Afghan tweaker Rashid Khan pulled out, was the surprise packed of the season and his nine wickets came with a staggeringly low economy rate, going for just over six runs an over, an outlier for a spinner in T20 cricket.

Big Bash veteran Chris Lynn, who will miss the Strikers’ finals push after leaving to join Gulf Giants in the UAE T20 league, also made the team despite playing just seven games, having clubbed 304 runs before being stymied by injury.

Englishman Jamie Overton was the other Adelaide player selected by the coaches, with Perth Scorchers stars Aaron Hardie, Josh Inglis and “wild thing” Lance Morris, who will all play for Australia in the upcoming ODI series against the West Indies, also picked.

After finishing on top of the table, Brisbane Heat bowlers Xavier Bartlett and Matthew Kuhnemann, got the nod, as did “Tall Paul”, import all-rounder Paul Walter.

BBL Team of the Tournament:

Matt Short (c) – Adelaide Strikers (8 votes)

Chris Lynn – Adelaide Strikers (6 votes)

Aaron Hardie – Perth Scorchers (8 votes)

Jake Fraser-McGurk – Melbourne Renegades (4 votes)

Josh Inglis (wk) – Perth Scorchers (7 votes)

Jamie Overton – Adelaide Strikers (8 votes)

Paul Walter – Brisbane Heat (5 votes)

Xavier Bartlett – Brisbane Heat (8 votes)

Matthew Kuhnemann – Brisbane Heat (6 votes)

Lance Morris – Perth Scorchers (4 votes)

Cameron Boyce – Adelaide Strikers (4 votes)