COLOMBO: Steve Smith is adamant young bating tyro Jake FraserMcGurk can be `dangerous` in more favourable batting conditions set to be on offer during the Champions Trophy in Pakistan despite two failures in Sri Lanka and growing questions about his place in the squad.

The 22-year-old failed twice after being called up for the two-game One-day International series against Sri Lanl(a, making two in the opening match and then only nine in the record 174-run loss on Friday night.

Despite only making 98 runs from seven ODIs, with 41 of those coming in what was supposed to be a breakout innings against the West Indies in just his second international match,Fraser McGurk was named among the injury replacements for Australia`s 15-player Champions Trophy squad.

But after the Australians were undone by Sr Lanka`s spinners who took 15 wickets across two games in Colombo, acting captain Smith suggested better batting wickets in Pakistan could help Fraser-McGurk produce the type of innings his potential has suggested he has in his arsenal.

While conceding Fraser McGurl( didn`t `get going` in Sri Lanka, Smith said he deserved his place in the squad.

`Yeah, look, he`s obviously a very aggressive player,` Smith said. `He`sgot all the shots around the ground, and yeah, I think it`s just picking them to play at the right time and he hasn`t quite got going here.

`But he played a couple of nice shots out there and we know the talent that he possesses so that`s why he`s in this squad. He`s dangerous, I think the wickets in Pakistan potentially suit him so yeah I think he`s going to learn a lot just being around the group, continuing to work with all of us as the coaches and just talking about the game and yeah, you`ll definitely take a lot out of that.

Without frontline bowlers Pat Cummins, Mitch Starc and Josh Hazlewood, as well as all-rounders Mitch Marsh and Marcus Stoinis, whowere all part of the original squad for the Champions Trophy, said it was likely line-ups would change from game to game during the tournament.

But he also backed batting gun Marnus Labuschagne, who missed the second ODI after a lean run during the Test series in Sri Lanka.

Smith said the teams for both matches, which included all 16 squad members, had been chosen before the first game of the series. `We obviously changed up the two teams over the two games and everyone had a little bit of a run at it,` Smith said.

`We`ve got a good squad. Marnus has done well under pressure, so I`m sure he`s going to be spoken about for thatfirst one-day match in Pakistan [against England on Feb 22].

Labuschagne has underperformed in Test cricket of late, going 28 innings without a century.

`We were certainly trying a few dif ferent things. I don`t think you usually see an Australian team make five changes day in, day out,` Smith said.

`It was about everyone trying to get some time in the middle. We haven`t played one-day cricket for a little while and it was about getting back into the rhythm of it.

`We got outplayed by Sri Lanka.

They played really well. Hopefully, we can take something out of it, move forward, and have a good tournament in Pakistan.`-Agencies