Tom Straker is a right-arm fast-medium pacer who has represented Australia at the youth level in 7 ODIs, 1 Test, and 1 T20I game respectively so far. He has got all the attention today after his performance in the semi-final match against the Pakistan U-19 team at Benoni as he went on to take a six-wicket haul in his spell (6/24) which included key wickets like Shamyl Hussain, Saad Baig, and Azan Awais respectively.
Tom Straker was part of the Australia U-19 team which played one Test match against the England U-19 team in Jan 2023 where his bowling figures read 3/58 & 1/48 respectively. Also in February 2023, he made his Youth ODI debut against the England U-19 team where he picked three wickets (2/32 & 1/9) in the two matches that he played. Later he made his Youth T20I debut also where he ended with a spell of 2/35 in 4 overs against England. All these four Youth matches happened at Brisbane venue.
Tom Straker in the 2024 U-19 WC has taken 12 wickets from 5 games, thus he has become the joint-highest wicket for Australia in this Under-19 WC edition alongside Callum Vidler.
Best bowling figures in U-19 World Cup 2024:
- Tazeem Chaudry Ali - 7/29 vs Zimbabwe in Potchefstroom (Super Sixes)
- Kwena Maphaka - 6/21 vs Sri Lanka in Potchefstroom (Super Sixes)
- Tom Straker - 6/24 vs Pakistan in Benoni (Semi-Finals)
Tom Straker has recorded the third-best bowling figures in this U-19 WC edition.
Best bowling figures in a knock-out match (QF/SF/F) of the U-19 World Cup:
- Lloyd Pope - 8/35 vs England in Queenstown, 2018 (QF)
- Wayne Parnell - 6/8 vs Bangladesh in Kuala Lumpur, 2008 (QF)
- Tom Straker - 6/24 vs Pakistan in Benoni, 2024 (SF)
Tom Straker has registered the best-ever bowling figures in the semi-finals of the U-19 World Cup.
Best bowling figures by an Australian bowler in the U-19 World Cup:
- Lloyd Pope - 8/35 vs England in Queenstown, 2018
- Jason Ralston - 7/15 vs PNG in Lincoln, 2018
- Tom Straker - 6/24 vs Pakistan in Benoni, 2024