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Warner v O'Keefe: The case for and against Sam Konstas
SENÂ âą Â October 14th, 2025 1:14 pm
THE CASE FOR KONSTAS:
Former Australian opener David Warner has urged selectors to stick with youngster Sam Konstas for this yearâs Ashes series.
Konstas, who turned 20 this month, had a torrid Test series in the West Indies this winter, scoring just 50 runs from three games as many of Australiaâs batters struggled on difficult wickets.
Those performances in his third, fourth and fifth career Tests had many call for him to be axed for this home summer, but Warner has seen enough from the New South Welshman early this season for him to remain at the top alongside Usman Khawaja against England.
With scores of 109, 27 not out, 49 and 3 from four innings for Australia A against India A last month in Lucknow, Warner thinks that Konstas showed everyone what he can do when he opts to build an innings.
âHe scored that hundred in the Australian A series. He batted outstandingly there,â Warner said at Fox Cricketâs Season Launch.
âI donât think weâve seen exactly what we know Sam Konstas can do.
âLast year, he probably got overwhelmed by the occasion, and we saw some very âhighlightâ cricket.
âIâve seen him build innings, Iâve seen him play some fantastic innings, and Iâd like to see him go back to just doing that.â
Another thing that may play into Konstasâ hands is the fact that England doesnât have Jasprit Bumrah in their line-up after the Indian quick dominated Australiaâs top order last summer.
He also believes that looking elsewhere to another player whoâs tried and failed previously could be looking for a short-term fix to a long-term answer.
â(England) doesnât have a Jasprit Bumrah, so he doesnât have to worry about that. Theyâve got some fast bowlers, but he can tackle that,â Warner said.
âIâd like them to stick with Sam and give him a crack because at the end of the day, I donât know if itâs a short-term fix if they try and find someone else.
âThey were mentioning Mitch Marsh and Josh Inglis, but again, thereâs no reason why Sam Konstas canât do that role.â
THE CASE AGAINST KONSTAS;
While Warner is confident in Konstas, former Test spinner Steve O'Keefe is not sold on the teen starting in Perth.
"Konstas, I just need one score from him, one hundred," he said on SEN 1170's Drive Home. "A big score and he is in but if I had to pick tomorrow, he is not in.
"What Marnus brings to a team is not just his batting but his energy, but, if youâre picking a player right now, itâs Weatherald.
"There is Konstas, Labuschagne, Renshaw, it feels like thereâs 200m to go and I donât want to pick a winner yet.
"You canât pick Konstas on form right now even though he is the future.
"We picked Konstas (against India last year) because we realised he has potential.
"What we need as in opener is for you to back youâre A-game for a long time and be sustainable. He came out with a game plan against Bumrah which worked, but in the West Indies he didnât have any answers and thatâs the inexperience.
"He is learning but itâs a big ask for him to go to Perth against Archer, we know he thrives in this, but itâs a big ask for him to do this without any runs under his belt.
"Iâm not sure that the moment if even he is confident in his A-Game. Picking him right now would be a huge risk."
The first Test between Australia and England begins on November 21 at Optus Stadium. Catch every ball of the Ashes on SEN - your home of cricket.
