Test legend Steve Waugh says young star Sam Konstas’ batting struggles mirror his own rocky start, declaring he feels “a little bit sorry” for the breakout batter who looks set to lose his spot in the Australian team.
Konstas, 20, has made just 122 runs in six Sheffield Shield innings so far this season, a period that was always going to determine whether he held onto his spot for the Ashes.
It leaves him 28th on the run-scorers’ list, behind players including Victorian fast bowler Fergus O’Neill, who has scored 157 runs.
Having burst onto the Test scene in incredible fashion last summer against India, Konstas was overlooked for the World Test Championship final but was then recalled for the three Tests against the West Indies in the middle of the year.
Konstas battled, badly, with two ducks among four single-figure scores as questions piled up about his capacity to deliver against England.
On Tuesday, ahead of the announcement of the Ashes squad, with Konstas likely to be overlooked, Waugh said he had sympathy for the young batter whose face has been everywhere in pre-series advertisements.
Waugh, who scored more than 10,000 Test runs after a slow start that included single-figure scores in six of his first 10 innings, said Konstas seemed unsure of himself.
“I feel a little bit sorry for Sam Konstas, who’s been in and out of the side a bit,” he said.
“It actually reminds me of myself when I first started playing for Australia. Not fully confident of being in the side and form a bit not quite there.
“He’s probably lacking a bit of confidence, so I don’t think they’ll go for him in the first Test (against England).”
Waugh said Konstas would be best served by a long stint in the Sheffield Shield to develop his batting.
Konstas has only played 25 first-class games.
“At the end of the day, it’s really hard to learn how to play Test cricket while you’re playing Test cricket,” Waugh continued.
“That’s what happened to me for a couple of 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 you walk out to play for Australia confident in what you’re doing.
“Right now, he’s probably guessing how he should play.
“There’s a lot of expectations, so he’s probably not playing with a clear mind.”
