From a shaking house in Adelaide to Ferraris in Dubai: Inside the rapid rise of Jake Fraser-McGurk

Jake Fraser-McGurk has had a rapid rise in world cricket, but it hasn’t been without challenges, none less than his World Cup snubbing, he speaks about his thoughts on it and his full journey to date, including the text that got him to the IPL.

From a house which shakes next to Adelaide airport, to driving around the desert with David Warner in a Ferrari, Jake Fraser-McGurk has already tasted the extremes of life as a professional cricketer.

The game’s newest sensation has opened up to Adam Peacock on The Willow Talk Podcast about everything from expensive cars, diamond earrings, his nickname ‘The Rooster’, the controversy around him missing Australia’s T20 World Cup squad and his steadfast belief that he can one day make it as a Test match batsman.

Fraser-McGurk praised the influence IPL teammate Warner and coach Ricky Ponting have had on his meteoric rise and why he still can’t quite believe how dramatically his life has changed since receiving a text message from Warner on Christmas Day about joining him at the Capitals’ franchise.

Before Fraser-McGurk rocked the world with record-breaking innings and an eye-popping IPL strike-rate of 233, he was getting rocked himself in his modest house under the flight path in Adelaide which sounds like what the Kerrigan family was fighting to save in The Castle.

In a matter of weeks Fraser-McGurk has become the new King of Twenty20 cricket but is not put out at all by his omission from the World Cup squad – despite outrage from fans and former greats led by Fox Cricket expert Mark Waugh.

“The communication (with selectors) was really good. There’s two ways you can look at it. You can look at it through, ‘This is what I’ve done to prove my case,’ and then there’s also, ‘Look, a month and a half ago I wasn’t even in the picture,’” Fraser-McGurk tells Peacock on an entertaining and insightful chat for Willow Talk which revealed the batting phenom is also a natural character out of the Shane Warne mould.

Jake Fraser-McGurk has been a sensation at the Capitals. Picture: AFP

“They (selectors) probably had a good idea of what it was (the squad) a month and a half ago … and it’s also hard to fit in. You’ve got David Warner, our best opener ever in three formats. You’ve got Travis Head, who is lighting it up over here and has lit it up over the past 18 months.

“And then Mitch Marsh is the same and he’s also the captain.

“I can’t really see myself batting five or six because we’re pretty set there with Timmy David, Cam Green and those sort of blokes. That’s the way I think about it. That’s fine.

“There’s hopefully going to be more time for that.

“It didn’t really bother me a hell of a lot because I wasn’t in this position to sort of … feel like I’ve earned that yet.

“World Cup cricket is a lot different to IPL and franchise cricket.”

Fraser-McGurk is still hoping he can get to the West Indies in June for the World Cup, even if it isn’t out on the middle.

JFM is sure to feature in Aussie colours sooner rather than later. Picture: Getty Images

“If I do somehow get a travelling reserve (spot) then great, I can get a good experience there,” he said.

Fraser-McGurk is happy to own the fact he’s a bit of a Flash Harry, and like fellow Victorian Warne before him – so far his performances are living up to the persona.

The 22-year-old is fitting into Warne’s old No.23 shirt quite nicely, as well as his two pairs of diamond earrings (“one big and one small”) which he wants to emphasise to his old Melbourne Renegades captain, Aaron Finch, “are real.”

Fraser-McGurk bought a Jaguar when he was 18 before the money had even come into his bank account and his manager has had to stand in and stop him from adding to his collection of toys … imploring him that his next purchase must be a house.

Fraser-McGurk wasted no time in responding to a text from Ricky Ponting. Picture: AFP

From the base Sheffield Shield salary he was on after jumping ship to South Australia to save his career, Fraser-McGurk is on the verge of becoming the highest paid players in the country as his reputation in the IPL begins to soar.

Fraser-McGurk has found a mentor in Warner, and spent last week with him in Dubai during a week-off for Delhi in the IPL.

“Me and Davey having joy ride (in a Ferrari). I love that sort of stuff,” he said.

“(Warner) has one of the biggest networks you’ll ever see. Everyone knows him here (in India).

“He’s got a lot of mates who are high up in special places. I had fun playing golf with him and some of the pros here in India, and going to massive mansions having dinners.

David Warner has been huge for the development of Fraser-McGurk. Picture: Getty Images

“It’s a completely different lifestyle than living in South Australia living next to the airport and the house shaking every time a plane flies over.

“I can’t complain about anything (Warner’s) done, he’s helped me so much already.”

When Fraser-McGurk received a text message after a Shield match in Tasmania from Ponting asking him to come to the IPL, the right-handed slugger reckons he replied within a minute.

Perhaps the key piece of advice Fraser-McGurk has received so far in his career came from Ponting, one of the cricketing greats who believe he should have been in Australia’s World Cup squad.

“What he’s said to me that’s really stuck with me, is I hit the ball a lot further when I swing at 80 per cent instead of 100 per cent,” Fraser-McGurk said.

He said this was his ‘favourite innings ever.’ Picture: Getty Images

“He said, ‘you just have to find the middle and it’ll go for six.’ When I swing harder my head moves.”

Fraser-McGurk was nicknamed ‘Rooster’ on a club cricket camping trip when he was 13 and his mates noted that the birds waking them at 4.30am were crowing his name.

With a first-class average of just 18, Fraser-McGurk seems a long way from Test cricket. But the young star believes he can evolve his hitting game to claim a baggy green.

“It’s definitely something I’m working towards. I know I can play long form cricket because I’ve got that my maiden hundred this year against Victoria, which is my favourite innings ever,” Fraser-McGurk told Willow Talk.

“At 4-16 someone had to come in and do it. I know I can do it on dicey wickets it’s just really applying that different mental awareness.

“Instead of just seeing the ball and hitting it, you need to know what does the team need from me at this moment and what can I do to be impactful at this current time but also what is the situation of the game.”

Originally published as From a shaking house in Adelaide to Ferraris in Dubai: Inside the rapid rise of Jake Fraser-McGurk