David Warner was preferred over young Jake Fraser-McGurk for the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 despite the latter’s national batting in the 17th season of IPL. Many criticized the decision, considering Warner hasn’t been in good form.
However, Australia Test opener Usman Khawaja backed the call.
“In pressure situations, you need experienced players. Fraser can only bat in the top order with the way he has batted so far. Who do you leave out to fit him? Warner Head? Head is on fire and you need Warner in the batting line-up. You don’t want to leave out experience to bring in a young player. Almost all the games in the World Cup are big and you need a guy who has been in that situation before,” Usman Khawaja told Wide World of Sports.
The southpaw also commented on Steve Smith’s exclusion, saying that it must have been hard for the selectors to leave out a legend like Smith.
“Smith has been a performer. But you have to look at the team balance as well. Marsh, Head, and Warner are there in the top order. There was no place for Smith and the selectors took a hard call,” Khawaja said.
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