Sam Konstas was clean bowled by India A bowler Mukesh Kumar on Saturday. (Cricket Australia)Prithvi Shaw’s fall from grace seems to have become an example for cricketers in Australia, with a renowned coach warning against a rushed debut for 19-year-old Sam Konstas.
Neil D’Costa, the batting coach who guided Michael Clarke and Philip Hughes to Test debuts, has warned that ‘picking Sam Konstas for an international debut against India could do the youngster’s career more harm than good’, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.
Australia are searching for Usman Khawaja’s opening partner, given that David Warner retired at the start of the year and Steve Smith will return to the No.4 position. Nathan McSweeney, who made 39 for Australia A against India A on Friday, in the fray but there have been speculations that the selectors could put faith in Konstas.
Only 19, Konstas is regarded as one of Australian cricket’s brightest talents at the moment. However, D’Costa said: “He could be a good player for 100 Tests. If they put him in now, he might only play 10 Tests.”
D’Costa, who is Marnus Labuschagne’s batting coach, went on to give Shaw’s example. “It’s just ridiculous (talk of rushing Konstas in). How’s Prithvi Shaw going? I could see his weaknesses before he went in,” he told the Australian daily.
The report added that D’Costa believed ‘Shaw is a cautionary tale of throwing a youngster in too early’.
Shaw made his Test debut in 2018, scoring 134 in his first match. Since then, he’s played only four more Tests and was last month dropped from Mumbai’s Ranji squad as well.
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