Australia announced their final squad for the upcoming World Cup in the Caribbean and the USA, with the 15-member squad remaining unchanged. Additionally, Jake Fraser-McGurk and Matthew Short will fly with the group as travelling reserves for this mega event.
Fraser-McGurk is in red-hot form and has proved his mettle with the bat in the world’s toughest league, the Indian Premier League, etching his name in IPL record books in his maiden IPL appearance. The right-handed batter amassed 330 runs in 9 innings with a staggering strike rate of 234.04 in the 17th edition of IPL and has certainly caught the attention of selectors, but with the likes of Travis Head, David Warner, and Mitch Marsh in the top order, the young bloke couldn’t make it into the 15-member squad. However, he got a late call as a travelling reserve; his inclusion as a travelling reserve speaks volumes about his talent and potential.
Along with JFM, Matthew Short also received a call to travel with the 15-member squad as a travelling reserve. His 541 runs in just 11 innings in the 13th edition of the Big Bash League, where he won the Player of the Tournament, highlights his batting poweress. The fact that he is also lethal with his off-spin bowling adds extra value to his game, providing the team with an important all-round option.
Australian chair of selectors George Bailey shared his thoughts on travelling reserves, stating, “As the tournament proceeds, the short turnaround between fixtures makes it challenging to get players in at short notice in the event of injury. Matt provides the squad with an all-round skillset option, while Jake provides further batting cover. Both players have exciting talents that they can add to the squad if needed. If not, the experience will still be valuable in their respective development journeys at the international level.” 
Mitchell Marsh will lead the Australian side in the 2024 World Cup, with top-order batters including David Warner and Travis Head. The team boasts a strong all-rounder contingent in Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell, Tim David, and Cameron Green, who could be crucial with both bat and ball.
Pat Cummins, Nathan Ellis, Josh Hazlewood, and Mitchell Starc will look to do the damage with their pace, while Adam Zampa and Ashton Agar will take care of the spin department.
Australia’s final World Cup squad: Mitch Marsh (c), Ashton Agar, Pat Cummins, Tim David, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis (wk), Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Adam Zampa. Travelling reserves: Jake Fraser-McGurk, Matt Short
Australia will take on Namibia and the West Indies in warm-up matches at Port of Spain’s Queen’s Park Oval on May 29 and 31, respectively, before opening their T20 World Cup campaign against Oman in Barbados on June 5.
