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Ponting Sees Hints Of Warner In 'This' AUS Player, Backs Youngster's Test Prospect 

image-lsb9tsmiFraser-McGurk blasted 41 off 18 in Canberra ODI [X.com]

Ricky Ponting finds hints of David Warner in his infancy as an international player for Australia in young sensation Jake Fraser-McGurk and believes the explosive right-hander can be fast-tracked into the Test match arena. 

The former Australian skipper has joined the hype around the explosive 21-year-old Victorian player, who made an enterprising 41 off just 18 deliveries in only his second One-Day International against the West Indies in Canberra on Tuesday (February 6), featuring five fours and three sixes. 



Prominent experts and even the Australian selectors have earmarked the childhood prodigy as a match-winner for the future, with Pointing going to the extent of insisting he can have a Warner-like rise to open the innings in Test cricket. 

Ponting Backs Fraser-McGurk To Play Test Cricket 

"Absolutely," ESPNcricinfo quoted Ponting as saying when asked if Fraser-McGurk has Test match potential inside him. "Just because of the talent that he's got. And we've seen with other players in the past, even like a Shahid Afridi or something like that, that came on the stage as an ultra-talented ball-striking 17-year-old that can bowl legspin and before you know it, he's probably played [27] Test matches."

"When you've got that sort of talent you need to be exposed to cricket at the highest level to work it out. And I think Jake can do that yet. I'm definitely backing one day to play Test cricket."



Even though the young turk averages just 22.39 after his 13 first-class matches and is still honing his skills and developing his overall game, Ponting reckoned Fraser-McGurk could be fast-tracked in the future in the manner that Warner was. 

"I was on record at the start of the summer saying I think he's someone that can be well and truly fast-tracked through the Australian system," Ponting said. 

"Because the natural talent that he's got reminds me a bit of David Warner's introduction into Australian cricket. When we saw [Warner] at the start, I think everyone doubted whether he was going to be good enough to play Test cricket technically."

Fraser-McGurk has also featured in 19 List A matches for Victoria and carried a strike-rate of 145.37 while averaging 34.60.