File image of Sam Konstas© AFP
After being unveiled as the 64th inductee into the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame, former captain Michael Clarke has backed young Sam Konstas to retain his spot in the playing eleven as an opener in the upcoming Test tour of Sri Lanka. With Australia considering to have Travis Head as the opening partner alongside Usman Khawaja, it would mean that Konstas may miss out on a spot in the playing eleven for the first Test starting in Galle on January 29.
But Clarke believes Australia should avoid tinkering with the batting order that won them Tests at the MCG and SCG against India. “I think he (Konstas) would be happy to play. I don’t think we need too much (change) in terms of structure.”
“We’ve just come off a win. Conditions are very different but Trav has been extraordinary through the middle order. The other thing is I don’t think it’s going to matter. If you’re going to open the batting, you’re going to start against spin. If you bat five, you’re going to walk in against spin.”
“Get used to facing spin bowling because you’ll get two Test matches of it. Sam’s an enormous talent and I think Australian cricket continues to produce young, talented players in men’s and women’s cricket. You learn so many things by having good senior players around you. Sam is one of the examples where he’s lucky to have these senior players around him,” said Clarke to reporters at the SCG.
Clarke, who was the last Australian captain to win a Test series in Sri Lanka, also felt having a fit captain in Steve Smith, who is progressing well from a minor elbow injury sustained in the Big Bash League (BBL), would be a major boost for the visitors.
“He’s so important for us over there in those conditions with the way he plays spin and his knowledge of the game. I assume Australia will play at least two spinners. I’d be surprised if Sri Lanka played more than two quicks.”
“They might just play one. There’s some youngsters around (the Australian setup) to learn the ropes… and see Sri Lankan conditions. It’s very different to anywhere else in the world,” he concluded.
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