Cricket news 2024: South Australia call casts doubt on Travis Head’s Test future
South Australia’s call over where they will bat Travis Head to kick off the Shield season has cast doubt over the make up of Australia’s Test side. Plus, one of the country’s best young talents left on the outer.
Travis Head is no guarantee to open the batting for South Australia in the opening round of the Sheffield Shield, casting doubt over his proposed move to the top of the Australian Test XI.
And young gun Jake Fraser-McGurk’s career has hit a speed bump with the Indian Premier League sensation likely to be left out of the SA side to start the Shield season.
In an interview with cricket.com.au last month, new SA coach Ryan Harris flagged the possibility of Head opening in SA’s first Shield game against NSW in Sydney, heightening speculation that he would partner Usman Khawaja in an opening slot for this summer’s Test series against India.
While Head is likely to front up in the game at Cricket Central beginning on Tuesday, it’s understood he could still bat in his long-time middle order red-ball slot rather than be paired with Henry Hunt against the new ball.
Momentum for Head to replace Steve Smith as Test opener had been building in recent weeks on the back of public support for the shift from Khawaja combined with Head’s outstanding white-ball form for Australia in the position.
That Smith – who is unlikely to play in the Shield opener – had also been equivocal when discussing whether he would retain his spot at the top, gave further credence to the view that Head was firming for a move up the order.
But the back injury to all-rounder Cameron Green has thrown a considerable spanner in the works. The severity of Green’s injury is yet to be disclosed by Cricket Australia, but should he be ruled out of the side it would allow Smith to move back to No. 4 and for a specialist opener to be picked.
National selectors cannot strictly dictate state batting orders however NSW coach Greg Shipperd has repeatedly indicated that his team would use Smith in accordance with the wishes of the Australian camp.
With Head and Alex Carey back from international duties in England, Fraser-McGurk is poised to be squeezed out of the XI for the clash with the Blues.
Despite his barnstorming exploits in white-ball cricket that led to him debuting in one-day international and Twenty20 internationals this year, Fraser-McGurk averaged just 19.56 in the Shield last year with SA including an unsuccessful trial as a red-ball opener.
The 22-year-old, who moved from Victoria to SA last year, has been anointed as a potential Test player of the future by Ricky Ponting. The all-time great coached Fraser-McGurk at the IPL’s Delhi Capitals where his astonishing form led to calls for him to be included in Australia’s T20 World Cup squad.
“He is a bit like (David) Warner … where they are at about the same age is very similar,” Ponting said on Sky last month.
“Davey bursting on the scene in the T20 game, no one really thought he could turn himself into a Test match batsman let alone a Test match opener, but I think when you’ve got that much ball-striking talent and skill, I think he can do it. If he wants to.
“I’m sure he will want to but there are so many other things you can do now domestically and white-ball wise, but I hope he has that dream and want to play Test cricket, because I think he can do it.”
India has meanwhile been dealt a blow with paceman Mohammed Shami suffering a setback in his recovery from an Achilles issue, suffering knee swelling according to a report from the Times of India.
Having completed a 2-0 series win against Bangladesh, India has a three Test home series against New Zealand before heading to Australia. The Aussies meanwhile will have not played a Test for well over eight months by the time the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series begins in Perth on November 22.
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