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“You’re playing for Australia”: Healy urges young stars to perform on the international stage
Nicholas Quinlan • February 22nd, 2025 10:26 am
Ian Healy has spoken about the want to see the next generation of Australian players able to perform on the international stage.
Healy wants to see the likes of Jake Fraser-McGurk, Matt Short, Cooper Connolly and Sam Konstas deliver more consistent performances when playing for Australia.
“These young Aussie cricketers who are flaunting their premature opportunities to play international cricket,” Healy said on SENQ Breakfast.
“Now Nathan McSweeney; not so bad. He did a great job in the Adelaide Test one night and stabilised things but found himself dropped the next match.
“The other group, (Sam) Konstas, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Matt Short, Cooper Connolly, their currency has to be runs and wickets for the bowlers or economy rate not just potential.
“You’re playing for Australia.”
This comes after the team’s recent performance against Sri Lanka which saw them lose both ODIs going into the ICC Champions Trophy.
In particular, the focus of these poor performances has been on Short and Fraser-McGurk only able to score 13 runs between themselves across the two ODIs.
And while Konstas has not been selected for the Champions Trophy, he has also faced criticism about his style of play.
Healy would also turn his focus on the newer bowling attack will take to Pakistan as the experience trio of Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood will all miss the tournament due to a myriad of reasons.
“Now we focus on Nathan Ellis, Spencer Johnson, Tanveer Sangha and Aaron Hardie who are in there (Champions Trophy squad) for Pat Cummins, Josh Hazelwood,” he said.
“Those guys are taking on England, so now do your jobs and think clearer than you have been when the pressure is on.”
On the international stage, the quartet of Ellis, Johnson, Sangha and Hardie has only played 28 ODIs compared to the trio of Starc, Cummins and Hazelwood who have played 308 ODIs.
Co-host Corey Parker would add on to Healy’s point of these young players being able to step up on the international stage.
“One hot day does not make a summer, you’re spot on,” he added.
“They need to have some sort of consistency and that’s what you are throwing out there Heals.”
Australia has won two ICC Champions Trophies back in 2006 and 2009 being the only country to do so.
They will play their first game of the ICC Champions Trophy against England on Saturday night in Lahore.
