Sam Konstas: Are you on board with him?

[sherb]

Foxsports now getting into the act

The media slowly and surgically removing the smoke they blew up Konstas's arse last summer.

 

[Westend]

Renshaw would strengthen our slips cordon.

The time is now for Renners ...he fits the profile....age is good has played test cricket scored a ton

He just for whatever reason has really struggled in the shield these past few years....like last year ave 29 from 10 matches

 

[sr36]

The time is now for Renners ...he fits the profile....age is good has played test cricket scored a ton

He just for whatever reason has really struggled in the shield these past few years....like last year ave 29 from 10 matches

It's a bit of a classic Aussie profile. Picked early - looked promising but didn't do enough - dropped to return a much better bat.

I don't think he'll have to do much to get pushed forward again - but he's got to do something, which he hasn't been doing recently.

 

[western royboy]

It's a bit of a classic Aussie profile. Picked early - looked promising but didn't do enough - dropped to return a much better bat.

I don't think he'll have to do much to get pushed forward again - but he's got to do something, which he hasn't been doing recently.

I’d disagree with your assessment - he’s got to do a lot to get back because technically he’s a disaster

 

[sr36]

I’d disagree with your assessment - he’s got to do a lot to get back because technically he’s a disaster

Really? I just think like a lot of lefties he struggles with which balls to play at when they're angling in from around the wicket and gets a bit messy, but is generally OK.

 

[western royboy]

Really? I just think like a lot of lefties he struggles with which balls to play at when they're angling in from around the wicket and gets a bit messy, but is generally OK.

When did he start batting left handed?

 

[Tjblues]

People who are saying he needs to “play his natural aggressive game” Is bizarre to me.

His 2 hundreds in the shield last year:
152 (241)
105 (225)

Other good scores:
88 (145)
68 (117)
50 (107)

His natural game is nothing like what he did on Boxing Day.

Also for those suggesting Renshaw as a replacement, I believe he’s batted at 4 the last year or 2 for QLD so not sure he’s the answer to the question

 

[western royboy]

 

[sr36]

When did he start batting left handed?

I was responding to a comment about Renshaw - at least I think I was. Are you talking about Konstas?

 

[toml]

Also for those suggesting Renshaw as a replacement, I believe he’s batted at 4 the last year or 2 for QLD so not sure he’s the answer to the question

This is wrong, no idea why I keep reading people saying this. He dropped down in to the middle briefly around 2020/21. He's been opening in the shield again since the start of the 2022/23 season. He bats middle order in the One Day Cup so maybe that's where the confusion is coming from.

 

[Black Diamond]

Shouldn’t matter anyway. Khawaja has been at 4 in recent seasons for QLD but he opens in the Test side.

Pick the most appropriate opener. Judge the player on attributes.

That player is not necessarily opening in the Shield.

 

[Art Vandelay_]

Anyone but Bancroft.

 

[Soggy2112]

Shouldn’t matter anyway. Khawaja has been at 4 in recent seasons for QLD but he opens in the Test side.

Pick the most appropriate opener. Judge the player on attributes.

That player is not necessarily opening in the Shield.

That may have been accurate when Khawaja was at the top of his game.

However, I think we’re now at a point where it’s a case of start from scratch and put all the names on the whiteboard. IMO, Khawaja may still be the best option, but I would like him to prove it, and that means going to the Shield, opening the batting, and scoring as many, runs as anyone else.

Unfortunately where it becomes tricky is I could see all 3 of Renshaw, Khawaja and Labuschagne being in the team for the first test. So how QLD structure their team will be very interesting.

 

[DaRick]

I’d disagree with your assessment - he’s got to do a lot to get back because technically he’s a disaster

From what I've gathered, none of Bancroft/Harris/Renshaw have sufficiently addressed their technical deficiencies.

Bancroft's a bit better than the rest in that regard, but his output his unlikely to be crash hot, plus he's seemingly been Maxwell-ed (i.e. barred from Test selection).

 

[jannissary]

out cheap for 4 this morning (afternoon) over in perth.

 

[two blue tiger]

Out cheaply again.

 

[Cleavy]

‘Can he cover drive?’: Aussie legend rips into Konstas before ruthless Ashes selection call

‘Can he cover drive?’: Icon’s reality check for Konstas before ruthless Ashes selection call

www.foxsports.com.au

when AB talks, he should listen

 

[revo333]

Yeah, I've jumped off board for the time being.

And AB is right, no point having a great ramp shot if you can't play through the covers.

 

[Rabish Binney]

I don't want to see him anywhere near the test side until he pulls his head in & drops the attitude

Would like to see Weatherald get a chance.

 

[Gethelred]

Graeme Smith couldn't drive through the covers...

 

[western royboy]

Graeme Smith couldn't drive through the covers...

Smith was Captain of South Africa at 22 in his 7th Test…

 

[Gethelred]

Smith was Captain of South Africa at 22 in his 7th Test…

Yeah, because his coaches pushed him forward at every turn regardless of the fact he couldn't play a cover drive.

Whether he can or cannot play a cover drive is but a single data point to him as a bat. Complaining about him ramping ahead of cover driving is old man shouts at cloud levels of criticism.

 

[western royboy]

Yeah, because his coaches pushed him forward at every turn regardless of the fact he couldn't play a cover drive.

Whether he can or cannot play a cover drive is but a single data point to him as a bat. Complaining about him ramping ahead of cover driving is old man shouts at cloud levels of criticism.

He was a stand out leader when they were at their lowest ebb. Freaks are in the minority, players with split grips/bad grips and trick shots as a rule don’t make it at Test level.

I’d rather see some balance to the discussion rather than “this is the new way” because until I see solid evidence that it is the way to play Test Cricket I’ll side with AB. The amount of smoke that was blown up this blokes backside after One Innings was completely disproportionate to reality. I watched him at the Junction last Friday. What I saw didn’t tell me he’s the answer to open in Test Cricket.

 

[hugecannon]

From very much the outside - Smith’s temperament is significantly better than what I have seen from Konstas so far.

Give Konstas another 2 years at shield level before looking at a test spot.

 

[Gethelred]

He was a stand out leader when they were at their lowest ebb. Freaks are in the minority, players with split grips/bad grips and trick shots as a rule don’t make it at Test level.

I’d rather see some balance to the discussion rather than “this is the new way” because until I see solid evidence that it is the way to play Test Cricket I’ll side with AB. The amount of smoke that was blown up this blokes backside after One Innings was completely disproportionate to reality. I watched him at the Junction last Friday. What I saw didn’t tell me he’s the answer to open in Test Cricket.

I'm not saying he is. Pretty much all I'm saying is it's facile analysis of a batting technique to reduce it to less ramps and question whether he can cover drive.