Australia's young opener Jake Fraser-McGurk, who captured attention with a stellar IPL 2024 campaign for the Delhi Capitals, now finds himself under scrutiny following a lackluster run for the national team. The 22-year-old, who was touted as a promising white-ball successor to David Warner, failed to convert his IPL success into international runs, particularly during the recent ODI series against Pakistan.

Despite being given the chance to open alongside Matt Short, Fraser-McGurk struggled, managing just 36 runs across three ODIs at an average of 12. His low returns have raised concerns, with veteran cricketer David Warner warning that the youngster could face being dropped if his form doesn’t improve quickly.

“We were talking about whether his game plan will change. Well, it won’t. He’s happy with the way that he approaches the game, [but] he’d like a few more runs,” Warner said in a post-match interview.

“If you’re not scoring runs, the solution to that is you’re going to get dropped. That method he thinks is going to work for him, but sometimes you might have to tinker with that a little bit if you’re not scoring runs,” he added.

Former Australian wicketkeeper-batter Adam Gilchrist also weighed in, offering advice for the young opener. He urged Fraser-McGurk to adopt a more cautious approach with the new ball, suggesting that patience early on could lead to bigger innings down the line.

“He’s a better player, he’s more skilled than what he’s allowing himself to showcase. I think he’s selling himself a bit short,” Gilchrist said.

“Mark Waugh used to say, ‘Just forget the scorecard for five overs, because if you can bat the other 45 overs, we’re fine.’ Imagine if he bats 50 overs, or 45 overs. It’s like when Warner was batting. Just pay a bit of respect to a new ball in a long-version game. He’s better than what he’s shown,” Gilchrist continued.

Gilchrist also acknowledged Fraser-McGurk’s aggressive potential but emphasized the importance of balancing aggression with situational awareness. “He’s dynamite, he’s box office. I hope someone’s saying to him there’s no shame in maybe backing off a bit. You don’t have to do what everyone expects you’re going to do. He probably rode the emotions a little bit,” Gilchrist concluded.