As Cricket Stardom Beckons, Jake Fraser-McGurk Set To Become The Face Of San Francisco Unicorns

A wheezing Australia slumped out of the T20 World Cup earlier than expected, an aging team running out of puff as the tournament gained steam.

It’s easier in hindsight, of course, but the 22-year-old Jake Fraser-McGurk could have given Australia an injection of youthful exuberance and provided them a much-needed spark.

After lighting a fuse under the Indian Premier League, with explosiveness that redefined the limits of batting in the powerplay, Fraser-McGurk suddenly became a compelling candidate for Australia’s T20 World Cup squad.

But selectors stuck with experience, those who had been part of such a successful period for Australia across formats.

“I wasn’t overly surprised that I didn’t get into the initial squad,” Fraser-McGurk told me in a phone interview. “I think just having that experience at the top order, it’s hard to break in.”

Fraser-McGurk did eventually earn a spot as a travelling reserve, getting a nudge from his teammates who were keen on getting this x-factor over to the Caribbean.

“Obviously I talk to the players quite a bit. I think a few of them were sort of trying to get me over there as a reserve, so wasn’t unexpected to get the spot,” he said.

He didn’t end up playing, but Fraser-McGurk looms as a pivotal figure in an Australia transition with the next T20 World Cup only around 18 months away. It’s a remarkable rise after Fraser-McGurk’s fledgling career was at an early crossroads 12 months ago.

Having shown glimpses of his brash batting marked by clean striking, Fraser-McGurk struggled for consistency and could not get his game together. He had instead become most known for his spectacular catching in the outfield, showcasing jaw-dropping athleticism and a vertical leap befitting a basketballer.

Fraser-McGurk was only offered a rookie contract with his Australian state Victoria before being lured to South Australia, who had identified talented discards as part of a recruitment strategy to lift from the dregs.

Advice from South Australia batting coach Stephen Stubbings was quickly drummed into him. “If you see a ball in any format that you feel like you can hit for four or six then just go for it,” Stubbings told him. “But be 100% committed.”

Fraser-McGurk took heed and spectacularly hit a ton off 29 balls against Tasmania in the Marsh Cup to rewrite the record books with the fastest ever List A century. It provided the confidence he needed as Fraser-McGurk enjoyed a breakout domestic season and by the end of a whirlwind summer he was representing Australia in ODI cricket.

But to a wider audience, Fraser-McGurk was still relatively unknown. At the beginning of the IPL season, he was able to walk around the streets of cricket-crazy India without much fuss.

After quickly becoming a fan favorite for Delhi Capitals and beyond, with his big-hitting so outrageous that it resembled a video game, Fraser-McGurk suddenly became a marked man.

“By the end of the IPL, there were some people following me and asking for photos,” he said. “I’m managing it all quite well. It’s definitely not as much attention as some of the other players like Pat Cummins or David Warner.”

During the IPL, he leant on sage advice from Warner, who ironically he replaced as opener for Delhi and will almost certainly fill his shoes for Australia.

“He talked a lot about the venues in the IPL and what the pitches were doing,” Fraser-McGurk said of Warner. “But I picked his brain a lot about the off-field stuff and life in general like handling the attention and pressure.

“(He’s) going to be a lifelong friend to me now. I can call him whenever I want and know he’s always going to pick up and have time for me.”

At Delhi, who finished sixth in the 10-team IPL, Fraser-McGurk also received tutelage from coach and legendary Australian batter Ricky Ponting. While Warner imparted advice on the mental side of the game, Ponting zeroed in on Fraser-McGurk’s technique and analyzed his swing.

With powerful forearms, Fraser-McGurk’s favored hitting zone is through midwicket and he puts everything into his almighty swing like he’s playing baseball. When he connects, the ball flies at bullet speed to the crowd or beyond. But sometimes he overdoes it, leading to ugly dismissals.

“You’re going at 100%, just sort of go around 80%,” Ponting told Fraser-McGurk.

The results were mesmerizing with Fraser-McGurk becoming the first player ever in the IPL to hit three half-centuries in 20 balls or fewer. His staggering tournament strike-rate of 234.04 was the highest by anyone who faced more than 25 balls.

Batting against the hard ball combined with the powerplay restrictions in the first six overs, where two fielders are only allowed outside the ring, helps make Fraser-McGurk unstoppable when he gets going.

The backing of Delhi’s hierarchy also importantly allowed Fraser-McGurk to be fearless. “They know that I’m going out there and will play like that, so if it comes off, it comes off, and if it doesn’t it doesn’t,” he said. “But they know what I’m capable of and if it’s my day then I can win matches.”

The next step in his development is to become a well-rounded batter, not just a slogger, and that will include being able to better work the gaps through the offside and also balance his aggression after the powerplay.

“Reading the times of the game when to accelerate and when to hold back, you get that with experience,” he said.

Fraser-McGurk has been deemed as Warner’s successor in white-ball cricket, but he’s also eying Test cricket after scoring his maiden First-Class century last season for South Australia.

“Red-ball cricket is high on my priorities, just trying to learn my craft because it’s a completely different game,” he said. “Trying to do as much as I can for South Australia in the Shield and whatever opportunities arise from that…hopefully I can grab with both hands.”

Before all of that, Fraser-McGurk will be making his debut in Major League Cricket where he is seen as a young drawcard for San Francisco Unicorns to build around.

The Unicorns, who embrace a Silicon Valley identity, used cutting edge technology, like AI, to identify a budding star of the future and Fraser-McGurk fit the bill with his destructive batting and box office appeal.

Australian superstar Pat Cummins headlines the squad, while Fraser-McGurk is likely to open the batting with New Zealand big-hitter Finn Allen. The Unicorns open their season against Los Angeles Knight Riders on Sunday.

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“Americans love baseball and T20 cricket is similar, being a shortened game, but a bit more entertaining,” he chuckled.

“Most franchises are trying to build around certain players, so if San Francisco has me in their sights for that then I would embrace that. I love loyalty in cricket, hopefully this is the start of a long relationship.

“I can’t wait.”