JFM thrown lifeline as Short heads home injured

A side strain for Matt Short will see Jake Fraser-McGurk open the batting for Australia while Mitch Owen makes his debut in the middle order

Matt Short has been ruled out of Australia's T20 tour of the Caribbean, opening the door for a recall for Jake Fraser-McGurk for the five-match series.

Short pulled up sore after training in Jamaica ahead of the first of a five-game T20 International series in the West Indies and has been sent home with a "minor" side strain.

Mitch Owen, the hero of Hobart's maiden Big Bash title last summer, had already been confirmed for his debut he will line-up in the middle order as planned before Short's injury.

Tim David, who is recovering from a hamstring injury suffered playing for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in this year's Indian Premier League, has also been rested for the opening match, with Cooper Connolly set to bat at seven.

Australia XI: Mitch Marsh (c), Jake Fraser-McGurk, Josh Inglis (wk), Cameron Green, Glenn Maxwell, Mitch Owen, Cooper Connolly, Ben Dwarshuis, Sean Abbott, Nathan Ellis, Adam Zampa

Fraser-McGurk was a late call-up to the Caribbean tour having initially been left out of the 16-player squad, added as a replacement for left-arm quick Spencer Johnson who was ruled out with back soreness first detected at this year's IPL.

He now has a golden opportunity to revive his nascent international career that has so far delivered 113 runs from seven T20Is, albeit at a strike rate of 143.03.

The 23-year-old burst onto the scene in the 2023-24 summer with a world record List A century off 29 balls in the domestic One-Day Cup before making his Australia debut against the West Indies.

01:32 Play video Box office batting! Fraser-McGurk lights up Manuka

He has not been able to maintain that momentum and comes into this tour off the back of a mixed series with the San Francisco Unicorns in Major League Cricket.

With five matches in nine days across Jamaica and St Kitts, selectors have been cautious with Short, who is expected to return for the home white-ball internationals against South Africa that begin in Darwin on August 10.

Also missing are Test players Travis Head, Alex Carey and the fast-bowling trio of Pat Cummins, Mitch Starc and Josh Hazlewood following Australia's 3-0 sweep of the Frank Worrell Trophy.

It means the Mitch Marsh-captained T20 outfit will offer "opportunities" for fringe players to make their mark with an eye on next February's T20 World cup in India and Sri Lanka.

"First and foremost, it's always 'we're representing Australia, we're here to win the series' and culturally, that's how we want to go about it," Marsh said of Australia's approach to the series.

"There will be guys that get opportunities. We've obviously got a few guys missing for this series (for) a well-earned rest.

04:01 Play video Opportunities abound with one eye on T20 World Cup: Marsh

"But we want guys to be flexible, fluid, and come together as a team and be really connected.

"We don't want anyone to come in here and feel like they have to prove themselves. We've really got a strong squad.

"We've got guys that have been on the fringes when those (all-format) guys are around, but in this series they come together as our attack and as our unit, and we've spoken about really being connected and working together, and they'll lead the team."

Qantas Tour of the West Indies

First T20I: July 20, Kingston, Jamaica (July 21, 10am AEST)

Second T20I: July 22, Kingston, Jamaica (July 23, 10am AEST)

Third T20I: July 25, Basseterre, St Kitts (July 26, 9am AEST)

Fourth T20I: July 26, Basseterre, St Kitts (July 27, 9am AEST)

Fifth T20I: July 28, Basseterre, St Kitts (July 29, 9am AEST)

West Indies T20 squad: Shai Hope (c), Jewel Andrew, Jediah Blades, Roston Chase, Matthew Forde (St Kitts only), Shimron Hetmyer, Jason Holder, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, Brandon King, Evin Lewis, Gudakesh Motie, Rovman Powell, Andre Russell (Kingston only), Sherfane Rutherford, Romario Shepherd

Australia's T20 squad: Mitchell Marsh (c), Sean Abbott, Xavier Bartlett, Cooper Connolly, Tim David, Ben Dwarshius, Nathan Ellis, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Cameron Green, Aaron Hardie, Josh Inglis, Matt Kuhnemann, Glenn Maxwell, Mitch Owen, Matthew Short, Adam Zampa

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