Australian opener scratched out of U-19 Cricket World Cup in SA after monkey mishap
The 17-year-old Victorian said he has learnt a lesson. "I guess it serves me right for getting too close to the animal enclosure."
Australia opener Jake Fraser-McGurk will return home from the ongoing ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup in South Africa after being scratched on the face by a monkey at a nature reserve, Cricket Australia (CA) said on Wednesday.
Fraser-McGurk, who was attacked while on a team outing after last week's victory over England in Kimberley, will undergo precautionary treatment in Australia, CA said.
"We want to make sure that Jake doesn’t have any ongoing medical concerns as a result of the incident so we have taken the best course of action," CA Sports Science and Sports Medicine Manager Alex Kountouris said in a statement.
"This involves the player returning to Australia for the treatment required within the recommended seven days of the incident taking place."
Our Australia U19s held an @ICC Cricket for Good session with youngsters in Kimberley and visited a wildlife reserve yesterday.
— Cricket Australia (@CricketAus) January 25, 2020
Meanwhile, a star of the win over England, Connor Sully, turned his mind to what lies ahead at the U19s @cricketworldcup 🏏 #U19CWC pic.twitter.com/jy3CaaKbxS
Australia lost to India in Tuesday's quarter-finals -- Fraser-McGurk was run out for a duck in the match at Potchefstroom -- but will play two more matches that would determine their ranking at the next under-19 World Cup.
The 17-year-old said he was disappointed to be prematurely leaving the team and that he had learnt his lesson from the episode.
"I guess it serves me right for getting too close to the animal enclosure," said the 17-year-old Victorian.
"That’s a lesson learned. I look forward to completing the treatment and getting back on the field as soon as possible."