On Wednesday, around 6 pm Australia time, Jake Fraser-McGurk’s manager informed Delhi Capitals (DC) that he will not be coming to India for the franchise’s remaining matches in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, which is scheduled to resume on May 17. Following this, DC has now roped in Bangladesh left-arm pacer Mustafizur Rahman in the squad.
IANS has learnt that most of the overseas cricketers in Australia, especially those from DC and Punjab Kings (PBKS), were in a state of panic after the India-Pakistan match was cancelled.
Fraser-McGurk’s childhood coach Shannon Young, who was in Dharamsala at the time, told IANS on Wednesday, “Jake was more scared than most of the overseas players who were in Dharamsala at the time. It (his decision to pull out of IPL 2025) is not surprising, given that he is the youngest overseas player in the DC setup. Also, he was quite uncomfortable the day before the match in Dharamsala, and then obviously when we left and came back to Delhi.”
“Overall, he wasn’t feeling great at all, and I’m very grateful that I was there to help him get through all of that. I mean, it was quite tough even for a 50-year-old, well-travelled guy like me, let alone a young kid. I was there in a supporting role to a player who is more like a son to me than a cricketer,” he added.
The agency has also learnt that due to the escalation of tensions across the border between India and Pakistan, some foreign players of both the teams, especially the Australians, had expressed concern about playing in Dharamsala on May 8, but the tournament officials somehow convinced them to take the field, but due to drones and air strikes from Pakistan, there was a blackout in Jammu, Udhampur and Pathankot, which are located less than 250 km from Dharamsala, so the match was called off after only 10.1 overs of play. Due to this, the players had to return to their hotels amid tight security.
All IPL affiliates were transported to New Delhi via buses from where they were taken to Jalandhar from where a special ‘Vande Bharat’ train brought them to India’s national capital on Friday night.
Melbourne-based Young, who also coaches Netherlands captain Scott Edwards, said, “Immediately after the events in Dharamsala, the entire management and staff of Delhi Capitals showed incredible care and concern for our safety. But I have to tell you that there was danger where we were in Dharamsala.”
IPL sources have also told IANS that left-arm pacer Mitchell Starc is also uncertain to return to DC’s remaining matches, while Faf du Plessis and Tristan Stubbs are also doubtful about rejoining the franchise.
