Cricket Australia CEO Lauds Selectors For Adding Sam Konstas To BGT Squad

Cricket Australia CEO Nick Hockley on Sunday gave credit to the Aussie cricket selectors for adding youngster Sam Konstas to their Border-Gavaskar Trophy squad against India. The 19-year-old Konstas was called into the squad in place of Nathan McSweeney and had an uphill task to open for Australia in front of a sell-out crowd against a proven Indian pace attack. Konstas was entertaining throughout his stay on the crease and became a popular face among Australian fans. He made the headlines with a sublime ramp shot off Bumrah, declaring his intent to be aggressive even against the brand-new red ball.

Speaking at a press conference in Melbourne, Hockley said that Konstas is a very special talent. The Cricket Australian CEO added that the best moment for him of Konstas was his knock for the Prime Minister's XI in the two-day game.

"Yeah, I mean it's a name that we've heard over the last three or four years and being very, obviously a very special talent, I think part of the U19 World Cup winning squad. So, you know, I think the selectors deserve a great deal of credit. I thought that, you know, there's obviously calls to whether he puts in a bit early, but for me the clinching moment was the PM's 11, that knock in the PM's 11 game," Hockley said.

Earlier on Day 1 at the Melbourne Test, Konstas sent the Australian fans into a frenzy by executing his aggressive shots, oozing with confidence, which lifted the Australian team to a dominant position.

Featuring for the Prime Minister's XI in a two-day game against the touring Indians after the Perth Test, Konstas attracted the spotlight with a century against the visiting side.

In his 11 first-class matches Konstas has scored 718 runs at an average of 42.2, including two centuries and three half-centuries.

Konstas played a vital role in Australia's ICC U19 World Cup 2024 triumph, scoring 191 runs in seven innings at an average of 27.28, including a century. He also featured in a two-match series between Australia A and India A ahead of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, scoring 92 runs in four innings, highlighted by a match-winning 73*. In the warm-up pink-ball game against India, he stamped his authority with a classy 107 off 97 balls against a formidable Indian attack.

In the ongoing Sheffield Shield season, Konstas is the fifth-highest run-getter with 471 runs in five matches at an average of 58.87, including two centuries and a fifty, with a best score of 152.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)