Who is new world-record holder Jake Fraser-McGurk?
Written by I Dig SportsHalf-centuries as a 17-year-old
A difficult Under-19 World Cup
He was part of Australia's squad for the 2020 edition of the U-19 World Cup in South Africa, but he was forced home early after being scratched in the face by a monkey at a nature reserve. "I guess it serves me right for getting too close to the animal enclosure. That's a lesson learned," he said.
A struggle for consistency
In the BBL he remains part of the Melbourne Renegades squad. He will be looking to turn around a poor T20 record where he currently averages just 13.28 with a strike-rate of 103.33 after 25 matches.
Didn't he go viral during the BBL?
Yes, he did. Twice. Fraser-McGurk is known as a terrific fielder and in 2021 pulled off a stunning boundary catch in the 2021-22 season when he leapt to catch Jake Weatherald's slog sweep at Marvel Stadium. "He tried to sweep a few of them and I thought I was in the game," he said. "Sort of reminds me of Ben Stokes in the World Cup."
Then he did it again the following season with another stunning catch against Hobart Hurricanes. "I thought that was going a long way back, we have seen him do it before, he's as athletic as anyone in the world," Brett Lee said on commentary. "He is quickly becoming one of Australia's great fielders, he has taken some screamers, look at how relaxed he was."