Why Marsh flew home mid-IPL – and how it’s good news for Fraser-McGurk

Mitch Marsh has returned home from the IPL with a hamstring tear ahead of the Twenty20World Cup in June, though the injury is not expected to affect his chances of leading Australia at the tournament.

But his departure from India has helped provide an opportunity for Jake Fraser-McGurk to continue his rapid rise up the ranks of the world’s most watchable young white-ball hitters.

Mitch Marsh is headed home as he deals with a hamstring injury.Credit: Getty

Delhi Capitals confirmed overnight that Marsh, in consultation with Cricket Australia medical staff, had flown back to Perth to rest his hamstring, with time at home in his own bed judged a superior recovery option versus the heavy travel schedule for all teams during the hectic IPL fixture.

As previously flagged by Australia’s head coach Andrew McDonald, Marsh is set to be named captain for the T20 World Cup campaign, following a successful trip of series as interim skipper over the past nine months.

“I think all roads will lead to Mitch, so just got to get that ticked off in certain areas,” McDonald said in New Zealand last month.

“We’re happy and comfortable with the way he’s been able to operate with that T20 team. We think he’s the leader for the World Cup, and I think that will just be a matter of due course.”

The decision to install Marsh as leader, which still needs to be ratified by the CA board of directors, is partly devised to share the leadership load around Test and ODI captain Pat Cummins, who is likely to retain the 50-over role for next year’s Champions Trophy.

Cummins was also appointed as captain of Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL, a choice partly inspired by his brilliant leadership of the Australian World Cup victory in India last year.

Fraser-McGurk composed a striking half century on his IPL debut for Delhi against Lucknow, in a clash between the Australian coaches and former teammates Ricky Ponting and Justin Langer.

In an innings of power but also precision, Fraser-McGurk did not look out of place opposite the outrageous talents of Rishabh Pant, doing the heavy hitting to take Delhi to only their second win of the tournament so far.

“It’s just a different cricket world over here. Never seen anything like it, heard a lot about it, it’s just amazing,” Fraser-McGurk said after his innings. “I’ve spent the last five, six games on the sidelines just watching it and itching to get out there. So just to get out there and have my first game, I’m stoked.

Jake Fraser-McGurk was thrilled to get playing time in the IPL.Credit: AP

“I tried not to swing too hard, not lose my shape and tried to find the middle of the bat. That’s what I’ve been doing the last 12 months – why change it?”

IPL success is widely seen as the blue riband for T20 players, ensuring not only a rich bounty in India but also allowing high-performing players to more or less take their pick in overseas leagues.

Nevertheless, Fraser-McGurk is still only an outside chance of squeezing into the Australian World Cup squad that will be named next month, given a logjam for top order spots that also includes Marsh, David Warner, Travis Head, Cameron Green, Matt Short and Steve Smith.

The preliminary squad will be named later this month, before it is pared down to a final 15 on May 25.

Short has already been somewhat repurposed as a middle order player who can also bowl creditable off-spin. Smith, having failed to make an impact for Australia in his most recent T20 appearances, has said he is at peace with the possibility of missing the World Cup squad, and has signed to join Ponting at the Washington franchise in the US-based Major League Cricket competition in July.

In English county cricket, Scott Boland was restricted to just 13 overs in his first appearance for Durham due to what the club captain Scott Borthwick called a “calf or ankle” niggle. Nathan Lyon twirled down nearly 40 overs for Lancashire, plucking three wickets.

News, results and expert analysis from the weekend of sport sent every Monday. Sign up for our Sport newsletter.