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Champions Day Bonus Bets giveaway“You’ve got to be more traditional”: Steve Waugh’s message to Sam Konstas to ensure longevity
Nicholas Quinlan • February 28th, 2025 4:29 pm
Steve Waugh believes that Sam Konstas needs to return to his traditional game to ensure his longevity within the Australian Test team.
After debuting for Australia against India with his entertaining knock of 60 in the Boxing Day Test, Konstas has been much of the talk within Australian cricket.
However, Konstas was not selected in the starting XI for the Sri Lanka tour with selectors sending him home to play Sheffield Shield and further his development in the national competition.
Reflecting on Konstas’ brief international Test career to date, former captain Waugh believes a more traditional approach to his batting technique would help the 19-year-old have more consistent performance against the very best opponents.
“I listen to all the commentators and judges and its like they drunk the Kool-Aid all at once,” Waugh said on SENQ Breakfast.
“Everyone though that it was fantastic and this is great but you could see what was going to happen when it didn’t work and it’s not going to work consistently causes its too high risk against good bowlers.
“So, what I’m saying is that it was fantastic what he did and he probably turned the Test match series in Australia’s favour, but for him to be a long-term Australian Test match player, you’ve got to be more traditional and I’m thinking about him not the team for his wellbeing and mental health.”
Since returning to play for New South Wales, Konstas has had some mixed performances in the domestic space, scoring 52 runs across his four innings, but did muster a century in the Dean Jones Cup against Queensland.
But Waugh believes that he can return to Shield form and continue to press for selection for Australia with a more traditional approach.
“I’ve seen him play grade cricket for Sutherland, he’s technically very correct and plays traditionally,” Waugh added.
“So, he’s got to get back to that, because if he’s playing like the way he is he’s not going to be successful.”
Konstas will likely feature in New South Wales’ next Sheffield Shield match against Western Australia at the WACA which starts next Thursday, March 6.
