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[PICTURES/VIDEOS] Sam Konstas: A talented Australian batter

YousafTheBeast said:
Get him in the PSL !!
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Tell you what, one guy who can bring him to PSL is Shane Watson. He has mentored him at junior level, so he maybe can get him in and preferably to Quetta Gladiators if he stays on as their coach.

That being said, signing up to PSL might not really be advised by managers who look to make big money out of players that they know can earn big money in the IPL for 5-10 years.
 
RidiculousMan said:
He should replace the hack Fraser in white ball as well.

Australia may have found the next great all format opener.
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Not at all.

McGurk is a different type of attacking player. His technique to hit the ball is much better. Guy doesn’t need to move all around the crease before the ball is released to elevate and launch.

McGurk is still more in shape. Especially when it comes to taking down spin. Konstas will improve with time.

Try not to rush to conclusions.
 
Rana said:
Actually I found it…


www.tbsnews.net

Meet Sam Konstas’ Bangladeshi coach Tahmid Islam

Based in Sydney, Tahmid Islam has been coaching Konstas since his school days at Cranbrook School and has played a pivotal role in shaping the young batter’s technique and mindset.
www.tbsnews.net www.tbsnews.net

Tahmid Islam. Congratulations to him! This is a big win for amateur coaches working overseas! A lot of these guys don’t get the recognition they deserve for the work they do at grassroots level
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Great find bro. This should serve a lesson for PCB that it's not all about the big names. If anything, most of them have been a flop.
 
He has just played 1 inning and people already hyped him to the moon like they did with JFM and look what happened. Mcsweeney is another case.

Just give him some time. 5-6 games before we start making him viv Richards. relax
 
BouncerGuy said:
He has just played 1 inning and people already hyped him to the moon like they did with JFM and look what happened. Mcsweeney is another case.

Just give him some time. 5-6 games before we start making him viv Richards. relax
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Did mcgurk + sweeney performan in internationals vs bumrah?

You don't need to be a genuis to figure out that sam is > those 2.
 
mominsaigol said:
Did mcgurk + sweeney performan in internationals vs bumrah?

You don't need to be a genuis to figure out that sam is > those 2.
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Yeah yeah hype him all you can... 1 knock is not enough for me to judge any player.

BTW I am not saying he is bad or good than other.
 
BouncerGuy said:
Yeah yeah hype him all you can... 1 knock is not enough for me to judge any player.

BTW I am not saying he is bad or good than other.
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I'm saying sam is > Mcsweeny + Mcgurk. It's not like Mcsweeny and mcgurk are Sachin + Lara level talents and my claim is absurd.

Whether sam succeeds or not is irrelevant. Anyone can tell that he is 100% > those 2. Besides he's an allformat batter since his quick attacking playstyle + unorthodox strokes is suited to all formats.

Wheras Mcsweeny is only a test + odi batter and mcgurk a t20 batter who can maybe slotted in for odi.
 
This kid is talented. Needs to be persisted with. He's a 19 year old gem and aus cannot let him go
 
I fail to understand the hype based on just one 50.

The same people who are calling him the next big thing will be calling for his head if he fails in a few games.

Long way to go for the kid.
 
gazza619 said:
I fail to understand the hype based on just one 50.

The same people who are calling him the next big thing will be calling for his head if he fails in a few games.

Long way to go for the kid.
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No one will call for his head. He's lucky to be Australian and not pakistani aka morons who are obsessed with Babar and rizwan and want the heads of anyone else.

Konstas will get support. Any 19 year old who has the guts to just attack bumrah without fear is one who Australia will cherish .
 
gazza619 said:
I fail to understand the hype based on just one 50.

The same people who are calling him the next big thing will be calling for his head if he fails in a few games.

Long way to go for the kid.
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he really did play some bad shots and got lucky there with the ramp. He missed it a few times.

So he needs to calm down abit, because while people celebrate it when it gets connected, but as soon as you start failing people go after you.

Just like how Rishab Pant is being treated. He started off his international career with same shots and than yesterday Gavaskar was calling him stupid on air.
 
mominsaigol said:
No one will call for his head. He's lucky to be Australian and not pakistani aka morons who are obsessed with Babar and rizwan and want the heads of anyone else.

Konstas will get support. Any 19 year old who has the guts to just attack bumrah without fear is one who Australia will cherish .
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It doesn’t matter where he is from or what skin colour is or if he does Sajda.
We are only interested in his results.

We need to be mindful that Australia has plenty of talent. This kid can easily get lost in the system if luck doesnt go his way with those high risk strokes.
 
Konstas is the kind of player that fans can enjoy, irrespective of their nationality. Like a Maxwell. But I feel kind of sad for him that he is still so innocent and a bit naïve when it comes to fans and the reception he's been getting. He just doesn't seem to understand how fickle and unforgiving they can be, should he get on a run of flops. Something his game will encounter.
 
pillionrider said:
Konstas is the kind of player that fans can enjoy, irrespective of their nationality. Like a Maxwell. But I feel kind of sad for him that he is still so innocent and a bit naïve when it comes to fans and the reception he's been getting. He just doesn't seem to understand how fickle and unforgiving they can be, should he get on a run of flops. Something his game will encounter.
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Bro. He's 19.
 
While talking to a local media outlet, Mike Hussey suggested that certain reactions from players always come back to bite them at some point:

"It always comes back to bite you at some stage. I wonder if Sam Konstas is back in the dressing rooms thinking, 'I wish I charged him'. It just makes the battle between the two nations all the more spicy."

"You don't see a lot of theatrics from Bumrah, but when Sam Konstas was dismissed, he thought, 'Yep, I'm here as well."
 
McDonald's Konstas admission as fast bowlers' fitness examined for Sydney

As attention moves to Sydney, Australia coach Andrew McDonald rates his debutant's performance and hints little change for final Test.

Australia men's head coach Andrew McDonald admits even he was surprised by a brash first impression from Sam Konstas during his Test debut at the MCG.

Taking on India pace ace Jasprit Bumrah early on Boxing Day with an array of non-conventional shots, 19-year-old Konstas' 60 (65) delivered an early blow for the hosts, who enjoyed most of the enthralling five-day encounter in front of their opposition.

Laying a platform for the rest of the batting order, Australia powered to a first innings total of 474, in no small part helping the hosts to a 184-run victory four days later.

After the win, McDonald confessed that not even he had pictured what was to come after his captain won the toss and elected to bat on the first morning.

"I suppose the conversation was how early was he going to get into those proactive shots, and twelfth ball did surprise me a little bit," McDonald admitted, having only crossed paths with Konstas in passing in the build-up to the summer, preparing for the Test match in the MCG nets and in brief team meetings.

“We knew what we were getting into as selectors. You follow that journey. Did we get a little bit more than what we expected? No doubt about that.

“His ability to put pressure on, and I think people talk about heavy duty runs in the first innings, and he put the pressure back on and allowed our middle order to get to work.

"And Steve Smith capitalised on that and Marnus (Labuschagne) was good, so it set the tone. There’s no doubt about that. I thought that combination of top looked like something going forward that could work.”

The only player under the age of 30 in the winning XI, the right-hander was able to feed off the likes of fellow opener Usman Khawaja, Steve Smith and skipper Pat Cummins, who too debuted as a teen for Australia, against South Africa back in 2011.

Looking at Konstas' experience from a coach's point of view, the lessons from the match bode well for an even sharper rise as an international cricketer boasting such a memorable first taste in Australian whites.

“There’s no doubt when you’re talking about a team that’s sort of going through transition, if you want to frame it that way, the ability to immerse yourself with those senior players through that period is incredibly important.

“So he’s going to be a better player by being in the environment (and around) the conversations that happen, the nuances to the game. I think that’s incredibly important on that journey to learning.

Looking to the rest of the playing stock for Sydney, the rigours of the first four Border-Gavaskar Tests and the quick turnaround for the January 3 start in Sydney means a stern examination on the fitness of the group, particularly for the side's fast bowling stocks.

While McDonald noted tabs will be kept on Mitchell Starc, the left-armer's finish to the Test match suggests he will be ready for a home SCG visit.

“Clearly bowling last (in what) was pretty attritional game, (which is) something that we’re not used to in the last few years, we’ll see how the bodies are,” he said.

“Clearly Starc is carrying something of some description. We’ll assess that. But other than that, it looks as though we got through pretty well unscathed but (it is a) short turnaround and recovery is important, and we’ll assess what the team looks like in Sydney based upon the surface, as we always do.”

“Anytime you get through the game, it’s always a good indicator that you’re a chance at the next game. It didn’t stop him."

“Clearly there was a little bit of discomfort early on in spells, but once he got warm, it seemed as though he was pretty free. His ball speeds were good."

ICC
 
Tried to take on Bumrah but probably riled him up enough to remove Khawaja
 
Today's incident reminds me of ambrose vs Dean Jones. Others suffered due to Jones foolishness at scg only. We will know tomorrow.
 
Bumrah rift backfired (BUT FOR KHAWAJA). I think he needs to focus on his batting instead of trying to do such antics. Just play your game
 
Konstas beginning to look like an annoying attention-craving livestreamer with each passing day.

But when he smiles afterwards, there is something disarming about him and it's difficult to hate him.

Nevertheless, the target on his back gets bigger every day for Indians.
 
Tom moody :Sam Konstas has much to learn. I hope the dressing room is offering that guidance without suppressing his confidence and youthful enthusiasm
 
I really like Konstas's attitude. He is not afraid to take on Indians. Both with the bat and with words.

Many players act all meek against Indian players to preserve their IPL contracts. Not Konstas.

Ever since Konstas arrived (Day 1, 4th Test), India have been on the back foot.

:qdkcheeky
 
sweep_shot said:
I really like Konstas's attitude. He is not afraid to take on Indians. Both with the bat and with words.

Many players act all meek against Indian players to preserve their IPL contracts. Not Konstas.

Ever since Konstas arrived (Day 1, 4th Test), India have been on the back foot.

:qdkcheeky
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10 years from now Konstas will be robbing India of another world cup 🤣🤣
 
I enjoyed Konstas MCG innings but now I am starting to think this kid needs to be on a leash till he matures. You can't do stupid things like what he did with Bumrah eventually it will catch you out... I don't think he will have a successful Test career with his current attitude..
 
Nikhil_cric said:
He's talented but too early to say anything.
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Why not give me credit for Travis head and Steve smith?

Everyone predicted it for Travis but no one believed me when I said smith would hurt india in BGT?

In BGT, I've only been wrong about Mcsweeny but I've been spot on otherwise about which player will perform.
 
mominsaigol said:
Why not give me credit for Travis head and Steve smith?

Everyone predicted it for Travis but no one believed me when I said smith would hurt india in BGT?

In BGT, I've only been wrong about Mcsweeny but I've been spot on otherwise about which player will perform.
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You were spot on.
 
someone plz tell this young kid that he is playing Test cricket not T20.. again he thrown his wicket after playing a rash shot.
 
This Kid won't last long.

I think his maturity level at the crease is actually a lot worse than Afridi.
 
It was boxoffice to watch, but the problem with such players is that it's just a matter of time when the missed-slashes, miscues all start ending up in the hands of fielders. Does he have another game then? He must have an incredible eye to play the shots he does vs Bumrah, but what's he going to do with it. Sehwag and Pant actually had/have really good defences. This guy's defence seems to be to step out to the bowler, right now.

Nevertheless, the kind of player you wake up early for, for sure.
 
Ricky Ponting speaking about Sam Konstas's involvement during Jasprit Bumrah and Usman Khawaja's face-off:

“I never like playing around with a game of cricket like that. It has a way of coming back and biting you time after time. They tried their best to take time out of the game. And this is what has happened as a result.”

"One guy you don't want to upset is Jasprit Bumrah. The way he's bowled and the fact he has got Khawaja out five times in the series. I didn't like Konstas getting involved. That was not his battle to fight. It was between Khawaja and Bumrah. For the young man there, I hope that there was some talking to from the Australian dressing room last night because he should have stayed out of that, let his senior player handle the last couple of balls."
 
Australia coach Andrew McDonald during an interaction with media reporters:

“I checked in with Sam to make sure he was okay. India’s celebration was clearly intimidating, and we have a duty of care to ensure our players are in the right mindset to perform.”

“While everything was within the Laws of the Game and no charges were laid, having the opposition swarm a non-striker like that raises questions. We just wanted to ensure Sam was in a good headspace for the next day.”

"It’s clear that it’s acceptable because there were no fines or punishments.”

“I’ll leave that up to the ICC and obviously Andy Pycroft being the match referee and the umpires out there."

“If they thought that it was satisfactory, then I suppose that’s the benchmark we’re playing amongst.”
 
pillionrider said:
Konstas beginning to look like an annoying attention-craving livestreamer with each passing day.

But when he smiles afterwards, there is something disarming about him and it's difficult to hate him.

Nevertheless, the target on his back gets bigger every day for Indians.
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Not as attention seeking as Kohli and his wolfpack
 
‘Can’t be that soft’: India coach takes sensational swipe at teen star after series loss

Indian coach Gautam Gambhir has hit back at remarks from Australian counterpart Andrew McDonald in response to Sam Konstas’ heated altercation with rival captain Jasprit Bumrah, telling his opponents “you can’t be that soft”.

Day one of the New Year’s Test at the SCG ended in dramatic circumstances when umpires were forced to intervene as Konstas and Bumrah butted heads near the non-striker’s end.

The Indian players swarmed Konstas after Bumrah dismissed Australian opener Usman Khawaja on the final delivery of the day, with McDonald criticising the “intimidating” behaviour the following day.

“My conversation to (Konstas) was just around whether he’s okay. Clearly the way that India celebrated that, it was quite intimidating,” McDonald told reporters at stumps on day two.

“To have an opposition swarm the non-striker like that, we have got a duty of care to our player to make sure he’s okay and in a head space to go out the next day and perform.”

Speaking during the post-match press conference on Sunday afternoon, Gambhir defended the actions of his players and claimed that Konstas “had no right” to talk to Bumrah.

“It’s a tough sport played by tough men,” Gambhir said.

“You can’t be that soft, as simple as it can get. I don’t think there was anything intimidating about it.

“He had no right to be talking to Jasprit Bumrah when Usman Khawaja was (wasting) time. He had no right and no business to be involved with Jasprit Bumrah. That was the job of the umpire.”

Konstas, who stunned India’s bowlers with a dazzling Boxing Day half-century on Test debut at the MCG last week, finished the series with 113 runs at 28.25.

When asked if he believed the Australian teenager had a bright future in the sport, Gambhir continued: “Test cricket is all about improving every day, and sometimes you can’t just go out there and keep smashing from ball one..

“You’ve got to respect red-ball cricket as well, and hopefully (he will) learn from these experiences.

“When you’re playing against a high-quality attack like India, this will be a great learning from him, is for him going forward.”

During the Boxing Day Test, Indian superstar Kohli was fined 20 per cent of his match fee for a needless shoulder bump on Konstas, but Ghambir brushed aside questions about the incident.

“Whatever has happened is history. Whatever has happened, has happened,” Ghambir said.

“As I said, it’s a tough sport played by tough men, and these things happen. I don’t think we need to make a big issue about it.

“It is not only in this series these incidents have happened. It has happened in the past as well, a lot of Australian players in the past have done that as well.”

Kohli scored 190 runs at 23.75 across the Border-Gavaskar Trophy campaign, while Indian captain Rohit Sharma skipped the series finale after accumulating 31 runs at 6.20.

Despite speculation on whether the veteran duo should hang up the boots, Ghambir refused to comment on their future in the Test side.

“It’s up to them,” Ghambir said.

“What I can say is that they still have the hunger, they still have the passion. They’re tough people, and hopefully they can continue to take Indian cricket forward.

“But ultimately, we all know that whatever they plan, they will plan for the best interest of Indian cricket.”

Bumrah, battling a back spasm, was sorely missed on day three of the New Year’s Test as Australia chased an awkward 162-run target for victory to seal a 3-1 series win. The 31-year-old claimed 32 wickets at 13.06 across the summer, the most for a touring Indian bowler in a Test series on Australian soil.

However, Ghambir reiterated that India was “not dependent on one individual” when asked if the tourists could have won the series finale if Bumrah had been fit.

“I don’t want to say that just because Bumrah wasn’t there we couldn’t get the results,“ Ghambir said.

“It would have been nice if he would have been there, but we still had five bowlers, and a good team is one which is not dependent on one individual.

“We didn’t get the result, as simple as it can get. We lost the series here.”

SOURCE: https://www.foxsports.com.au/cricke...580bc2b0f7d956cc680e5677ce?recommendedCount=0
 
BouncerGuy said:
However, Ghambir reiterated that India was “not dependent on one individual” when asked if the tourists could have won the series finale if Bumrah had been fit.
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Ah, he is fooling no one. This series was pretty much Bumrah against Aus.
 
Konstas is fearless, he got into Bumrah's nerves, have never seen bumra loosing his cool. Bumra got so riled up that he got injured thanks to konstas :kp
 
Ponting and Shastri on the road ahead for Sam Konstas

Sam Konstas emerged as an impressive opening outlet for Australia in turning the tide against India in their recent series win.

While the 19-year-old Sam Konstas made an instant impact in whites for Australia, ICC Hall of Famer Ricky Ponting believes the young batter has a long way to go if he is to cement his status as a Test opener.

Joining Sanjana Ganesan and Ravi Shastri in the latest edition of The ICC Review, Ponting said: “I don't think he can survive as a Test opening batsman playing like that all the time.”

“So he will learn a lot from the first couple of games that he played as a batsman, but just as an international sportsman as well, I think he'll learn a lot.

“It's a big stage and he really enjoyed it at the MCG. But I've seen this happen a lot with young players. They come in, they get overawed by everything a little bit, and it takes them a few games or a few series just to actually work out who they are and who they need to be successful international players.”

Konstas scored a stunning 60 off 65 deliveries in his first Test innings for Australia, a knock laced with exquisite strokeplay such as a reverse lap for six off Jasprit Bumrah. He was added to the squad in place of Nathan McSweeney, who was only able to score 72 runs in the first three Tests.

Both Konstas and McSweeney have been included in Australia’s squad for the two-Test series in Sri Lanka.

Former India head coach Ravi Shastri believes that it was Konstas’ eagerness to announce himself on the grand stage that led to many of his decisions with the bat.

“I think it was more the exuberance of youth. He was like a cat on a hot tin roof. He wanted to announce himself straight away,” Shastri told The ICC Review.

“There was a lot of talk. He's someone who'll take the attack to the opposition. And he wanted to walk the talk. And he did that.

“He flustered India, there's no doubt about that, in Melbourne. But my advice to him would be ‘you've got talent, the focus should be on scoring runs more than anything else’. You focus on your strengths. You play the way you want.

Shastri added that as an opener, Konstas needed to back his defensive game and that Australia’s upcoming two-Test tour of Sri Lanka is the opportunity to do so.

“I think the tour of Sri Lanka in many ways will help. Getting out of Australia, playing overseas, and then getting to learn a lot of other things and maturing.”

www.icc-cricket.com

Ponting and Shastri on the road ahead for Sam Konstas

Sam Konstas emerged as an impressive opening outlet for Australia in turning the tide against India in their recent series win.
www.icc-cricket.com www.icc-cricket.com
 
Steve Smith in a conversation with a sports channel appraised Sam Konstas, he said:

"As a batter, you can only learn by yourself, in a way. You play the way you want to play because it's your career. From there, you learn along the way through experiences. I've seen him bat like that and I've seen him bat more conventionally in a Shield game and do really well,"

"He's got all the tools, and I think he has the ability when he wants to absorb pressure, and he's got the ability to put a lot of pressure back on (the bowlers). It's something he'll learn. He's only 19, he's a kid. He's going to have plenty of experiences and he's going to learn them along the way. He's got a bright future,"
 
‘It all went wrong’: The story behind the Konstas selfie car crash

A man who accidentally crashed his car while trying to chase after Sydney Thunder star Sam Konstas for a photograph has opened up on the comical series of events that led to him starring in a viral video watched by millions around the world.

The Sydney Thunder’s social media channels lit up on Wednesday ahead of a blockbuster cross-town clash against the Sixers on Friday at the SCG following an unexpected interaction with Konstas and a fan.

A cricket fan in Sydney forgot to put on his handbrake after stopping his car to get a pic with cricket star Sam Konstas.

In a video captioned “The Konstas effect”, CCTV footage taken in the car park at Cricket NSW headquarters at Sydney Olympic Park shows the 19-year-old Test opener walking with his kitbag from the carpark to training.

A man hurriedly parks his car and jumps out, seemingly to follow Konstas, before the video ends with a white 2024 Land Cruiser Prado rolling forward and crashing into another parked car, with the panicked driver desperately trying to stop his vehicle.

“At that moment, it all went wrong,” the driver Sirajuddin Khan said. “I just bought that car last month.”

Khan, whose phone has blown up since the video went viral, shared the story behind the bingle with this masthead on Thursday.

For the past six months, Khan’s 12-year-old son, Shahzad Muhammad, has been training at Cricket Central, sometimes five times a week between 6am and 7am.

“A lot of people know me there,” Khan said.

On Wednesday, the Sydney Thunder hosted a training camp from 9am to 4pm. Earlier that morning, Shahzad Muhammad had asked his father if he could borrow his phone to take pictures of Thunder players at the clinic.

“I said no because I didn’t want him concentrating on my phone. He should concentrate on training,” Khan said. “I thought I had upset him.”

Khan was in and out of Cricket Central that day, juggling work meetings and running errands, including picking up a bat for his son.

However, Khan forgot he needed to return a pair of his son’s batting gloves to a shop to get exchanged. Running late, Khan drove back to Cricket Central for a quick in-and-out stop.

“As you can see, I parked in the disabled spot because in my head I’m thinking that I’m going there only for one second,” Khan said. “I was going to grab the gloves because there was no parking anywhere. As soon as I’m reversing back in, I see this guy rocking up. It was Konstas.

“I think to myself, I’ll get ahead of Konstas, run to my son, get him from training, then I’ll take a picture for him ... and I’ll go back to my meeting.

“I jumped out of the car and started running. I actually wasn’t going to say hello to Konstas. I was going to grab my son and ask Konstas if he could have a picture.

“All of a sudden my car is going beep, beep, beep.”

In his rush, Khan had left his car in reverse – not even neutral – and it started rolling forward, and then made contact with another parked vehicle.

“When I saw my car rolling, Konstas looked at it. Then he started walking inside,” Khan said.

“I tried to stop it before the accident. I stood there and was a bit embarrassed.”

Ahead of his final match with the Thunder before heading to Sri Lanka on Test duties, Konstas was asked about the amusing moment.

“I saw the clip and it’s gone a bit viral,” Konstas said. “Hopefully I’ll see him later today and sign some stuff. It wasn’t funny … hopefully he’s all good.”

The owner of the parked car was Prashant Sharma, a Cricket NSW staff member. On Thursday, his car was in the same spot, with a handful of scratches.

Ironically, Khan works in the car industry.

“I’ve already organised a car for him [Sharma] to drive from Monday,” Khan said. “We do car repairs and detailing, so that was the easy part. The funny thing is when I went in again this morning, Prashant parked his car in the same place.”

As luck would have it, Khan’s son eventually managed to get the photo with Konstas.

Sam Konstas (left) poses for a photo with Shahzad Muhammad Khan (white shirt) after the boy’s father crashed his car trying to help get a photo with the Sydney Thunder star.

“When I went into reception to tell them that I hit a car, my son ran out and said, ‘Dad, I just took a picture with Sam Konstas’,” Khan said. “He didn’t even know about my accident.

“Mate, this video is going to turn to gold if he makes it [as a cricketer]. The accident his dad had just to get a picture.”

Thunder captain David Warner also saw the funny side.

“That’s what happens when you’re hot off the press,” Warner said. “People want your autograph and people literally jump out of cars and don’t put them in park. Hopefully the insurance company doesn’t see that.”

SOURCE: https://www.smh.com.au/sport/cricke...as-selfie-car-crash-20250116-p5l4sm.html?s=08
 

Australian great Brad Haddin calls for Sam Konstas to be ‘sent home’ if he’s not selected for second Test​

Former Australian wicketkeeper Brad Haddin has called on selectors to send Sam Konstas home from Sri Lanka if he isn’t picked for the second Test.

Konstas, 19, was controversially dropped as opener for the first Test despite making an instant impression in his first two Tests against India on home soil.
Selectors instead opted to promote Travis Head up the order and hand a debut to Josh Inglis.

The move paid dividends, with Head blasting a quickfire 50 to get the Aussies off to the ideal start before Inglis smashed a century on debut.

But given the ease in which Australia dominated Sri Lanka, it likely wouldn’t have made a difference to the end result who opened the batting.

Konstas is widely tipped to return to the starting XI for the World Test Championship final against South Africa in June, but that means he won’t play much cricket between now and then.

That’s why Haddin wants Konstas to return to Australia and play in the Sheffield Shield for New South Wales.

“We’ve got to remember he’s 19 so if they’re not using him for the second Test I would send him home to play state cricket, he hasn’t played a lot and the more he plays the better,” Haddin told News Corp.

“He would’ve had a good couple of weeks over there learning, so if he’s not going to be needed, send him back home to bat.

“We’ve seen how well Travis Head and Uzzie (Khawaja) played at the top of the order, (but) I think he (Konstas) will come straight back in for the Test Championship.

“He’s come out of nowhere in the last six months because he’s such a high-quality player and is still learning the game.

“He’s only a 19-year-old boy, the world is in front of him, we’re going to see a very good player for a very long time.”

Australia had been impressed by Konstas’s response to being dropped for the series opener.

“There’s a lot to like and be impressed about Sam,” selector Tony Dodemaide said last week.

“One of the things is his ability to take things in his stride. It’s remarkable really, whether it’s playing in front of 90,000 and Jasprit Bumrah at the MCG or getting told that you’re left out of the Test.

“He was like, ‘Oh yeah, mate, no stress. I get it’.”

Konstas was also forced to isolate from teammates during the first Test after picking up a stomach bug, but Australia were confident the illness was not serious.

7news.com.au

Aussie great calls for Sam Konstas to be ‘sent home’

The 19-year-old was controversially axed for the first Test against Sri Lanka.
7news.com.au 7news.com.au
 
FearlessRoar said:

Australian great Brad Haddin calls for Sam Konstas to be ‘sent home’ if he’s not selected for second Test​

Former Australian wicketkeeper Brad Haddin has called on selectors to send Sam Konstas home from Sri Lanka if he isn’t picked for the second Test.

Konstas, 19, was controversially dropped as opener for the first Test despite making an instant impression in his first two Tests against India on home soil.
Selectors instead opted to promote Travis Head up the order and hand a debut to Josh Inglis.

The move paid dividends, with Head blasting a quickfire 50 to get the Aussies off to the ideal start before Inglis smashed a century on debut.

But given the ease in which Australia dominated Sri Lanka, it likely wouldn’t have made a difference to the end result who opened the batting.

Konstas is widely tipped to return to the starting XI for the World Test Championship final against South Africa in June, but that means he won’t play much cricket between now and then.

That’s why Haddin wants Konstas to return to Australia and play in the Sheffield Shield for New South Wales.

“We’ve got to remember he’s 19 so if they’re not using him for the second Test I would send him home to play state cricket, he hasn’t played a lot and the more he plays the better,” Haddin told News Corp.

“He would’ve had a good couple of weeks over there learning, so if he’s not going to be needed, send him back home to bat.

“We’ve seen how well Travis Head and Uzzie (Khawaja) played at the top of the order, (but) I think he (Konstas) will come straight back in for the Test Championship.

“He’s come out of nowhere in the last six months because he’s such a high-quality player and is still learning the game.

“He’s only a 19-year-old boy, the world is in front of him, we’re going to see a very good player for a very long time.”

Australia had been impressed by Konstas’s response to being dropped for the series opener.

“There’s a lot to like and be impressed about Sam,” selector Tony Dodemaide said last week.

“One of the things is his ability to take things in his stride. It’s remarkable really, whether it’s playing in front of 90,000 and Jasprit Bumrah at the MCG or getting told that you’re left out of the Test.

“He was like, ‘Oh yeah, mate, no stress. I get it’.”

Konstas was also forced to isolate from teammates during the first Test after picking up a stomach bug, but Australia were confident the illness was not serious.

7news.com.au

Aussie great calls for Sam Konstas to be ‘sent home’

The 19-year-old was controversially axed for the first Test against Sri Lanka.
7news.com.au 7news.com.au
Click to expand...
I agree with Haddin. Australia either needs to send Konstas home for more practise before wtc and Ashes or just give him a game vs sri lanka.

I don't even get what's the issue? Wtc is set in stone now, this test is a dead rubber. Just give konstas a game and rest either Travis or Khawaja.

Infact you can rest Travis head since he's your big gun and you don't want a saim ayub situation.
 

Sam Konstas departs Sri Lanka tour early to focus on Sheffield Shield​


Promising batter, Sam Konstas, has left the Australia’s tour of Sri Lanka early, as selectors have decided to send him home in time for New South Wales’ upcoming Sheffield Shield match against Queensland at the Gabba.

The decision comes after Konstas was not considered for selection in the second Test, with the Australian think tank keen on ensuring the 19-year-old gains more first-class experience in domestic conditions, particularly in Brisbane, where he is yet to play a Shield match.

Huge honour to being in the squad​

Konstas, who had been part of Australia’s squad in Sri Lanka, returned to the team hotel in Galle on Tuesday to begin packing for his flight back to Sydney. Speaking about the decision, he expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to be in the national set-up and learn from some of Australia’s top batters.

“It’s been a huge honour being in the squad and learning from the likes of Travis Head, Steve Smith, Usman Khawaja — the way they go about it,” Konstas was quoted by The Sydney Morning Herald. “And obviously having experience in the Asian continent in Dubai. It’s been about understanding what works in these conditions, and hopefully, I can emulate that after I get back to Sydney. Understanding your strengths and trying to do it for as long as possible in these conditions.”

The selectors’ call to send Konstas home also takes into account a potential Australia A tour of India later this year. Having already trained in Dubai before the Sri Lanka series, he is expected to receive more exposure to subcontinental conditions in the coming months, which could prove invaluable for his development as a long-format player.

Konstas’ time in Sri Lanka was hampered by an untimely illness, which forced him into quarantine for three days during the first Test. Although he recovered in time to resume training, he was ultimately left out of the playing XI, a decision that sparked criticism back home in New South Wales. However, the young batter took the decision in stride, acknowledging the selectors’ reasoning behind his omission.

“I totally understood the decision,” Konstas said. “Travis Head’s a legend of the game and he’s been dominating in these conditions up top. So for me, it was about getting exposure to Dubai, Sri Lanka, trying to learn, and I feel like I learnt quite a bit about things if I do play in the subcontinent.”

 
Head predicts Sam Konstas to return for World Test Championship Final

Australia have got a wealth of riches at their disposal as they try and squeeze all their in-form players into their XI for the one-off Test against the Proteas in London.

Australia batter Travis Head is expecting teenage opener Sam Konstas to return to the Test fold at this year's ICC World Test Championship Final against South Africa.

Konstas burst onto the scene with a flamboyant half-century when making his Test debut against India at the MCG on Boxing Day and showed glimpses of his best form in Sydney last month when the Aussies clinched the Border Gavaskar series and booked their place at this year's World Test Championship Final against the Proteas in June.

While Konstas has been on the outer for Australia's ongoing Test series in Sri Lanka as Head has been preferred as Usman Khawaja's opening partner, Head thinks the 19-year-old is likely to return to the top of the order for the one-off Test at Lords's as the Aussies look to find the right balance to their batting line-up.

"Most likely I'd go back in the middle order and Sam would open," Head predicted.

"But I'm glad I'm not a selector. Josh (Inglis) has had an amazing start, the guys are playing well, (Cameron Green) Greeny's going to be fit. So it's going to be hard to fit (them all) in. I think that's what we want. We want an Australian cricket team that's tough to get in.

"I think that's all we've ever known is players that are unlucky and players that are in the team and expecting good performances. And that's where the pressure comes (from), it's trying to hold your spot every Test, knowing that there's people behind you. We're in a strong position. It's better having seven or eight batters talked about than three or four."

Head has been impressed by Konstas since the right-hander entered the Australian set-up and believes the attacking opener has a long future ahead in the game.

"For someone to come in and take the game (on) the way he did in Melbourne, the confidence he's got, it's a good thing to have a young kid around that's a bit naive and just plays the game the right way," Head said.

"He's got a huge future for Australia. It'll just be how he, over the years, deals with adversity. At this stage, he looks like he deals with it really well."

www.icc-cricket.com

Head predicts Sam Konstas to return for World Test Championship Final

Australia have got a wealth of riches at their disposal as they try and squeeze all their in-form players into their XI for the one-off Test against the Proteas in London.
www.icc-cricket.com www.icc-cricket.com
 
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