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Australia men's chief selector and George Bailey has finally opened up on Sam Konstas' absence from Australia's squad for the first Ashes Test against England. The decision, though difficult, comes after Konstas endured a significant run of poor form. Adding context, former captain Steve Waugh drew parallels between Konstas' current struggles and his own early career experiences, emphasizing the challenge for young players to find their footing amid the rigors of international cricket.
Bailey on Konstas' omission from Australia squad for 1st Ashes Test
Konstas' recent performance made his omission from Australia's squad for the first Ashes Test against England at Perth later this month an unfortunate inevitability. His challenging tour of the West Indies saw him score only 50 runs across six innings. These struggles continued into the Sheffield Shield season, where he managed just one half-century in six innings, solidifying the selector's decision.
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Konstas has already proven his batting prowess. He notably struck a century for Australia A in India and made his Test debut last summer against India at the MCG. During that debut, he impressed observers by confidently taking on a challenging bowler like Jasprit Bumrah. While he was later omitted for the Sri Lanka series, he was recalled to face the difficult batting conditions in the Caribbean.
"I feel for Sammy [Konstas] because at the moment, if he farts, it's a headline. There's a handful of young guys his age playing Shield cricket around the country, and they are all learning and are all going through the journey of becoming the best cricketer they can be, and Sammy is no different - he just happens to be doing it under immense scrutiny,” Bailey was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.
"We really like him… he's been in and around the Boxing Day Test, he's been on subcontinent tours, [and] he's been on Aussie A tours. So we like the skillset, and [are] confident over the long run, it will continue to build out. It's not going to be linear - no one's passage through their career is linear - [but] the message is just to keep it simple: score runs and bat for as long as he can for New South Wales. He's got a great outlook on life. He remains incredibly upbeat. The scrutiny on him is almost unprecedented on some levels," he further stated.
I feel a little bit sorry for Sam Konstas: Steve Waugh
Speaking alongside the Waterford Crystal Ashes trophy as its tour of Australia commenced, Steve Waugh drew striking parallels between Sam Konstas' situation and his own entry into Test cricket. Waugh made his Test debut at the age of 20, also against India at the MCG, but his early career was challenging. It took the future legendary captain until his 27th Test match—at the start of the 1989 Ashes series against England—to finally score his first century.
Waugh's rocky start continued, leading to him being dropped from the side 18 months after his maiden century, with his twin brother, Mark Waugh, taking his place. However, Steve Waugh earned a subsequent recall and fundamentally transformed his career. He went on to establish himself as one of Australia’s greatest batters, ultimately finishing his illustrious Test career with 32 centuries. This journey serves as a powerful reminder of the patience and perseverance often required for young, talented players to succeed at the highest level.Despite his omission from the initial Ashes squad, Konstas still has opportunities ahead to reclaim his form and prove his worth. He is scheduled to play up to three more Sheffield Shield matches before the Big Bash League commences in mid-December. Furthermore, chief selector George Bailey confirmed that the young batter remains firmly in contention for selection in both the Prime Minister’s XI and Australia A fixtures, both of which are scheduled to take place during the early stages of the 2025-26 Ashes.
"I feel a little bit sorry for Sam Konstas. He's been in and out of the side a bit, and it actually reminds me a bit of myself when I first started playing for Australia. Not fully confident of being in the side, and up and down, and not quite there. So he's probably lacking a bit of confidence,” Waugh said.
"[My advice to Konstas would be] not to listen to everybody. Just trust one or two people around you. Go back to basics. At the end of the day, it's really hard to learn how to play Test cricket while you're playing Test cricket, and that's what happened to me for a few years. I wasn't really that finished product. I'd go back to Shield cricket, try and build some long innings, bat for as long as you can, and just get to know your game really well. And then [when] you walk out to play for Australia, you're confident in what you're doing. I think, at the moment, he's guessing how he's meant to play. There's a lot of expectations, so he's probably not playing with a clear mind,” he concluded.
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