Galle: Sam Konstas is leaving Australia’s tour of Sri Lanka early to be back home in time to play in New South Wales’ next Sheffield Shield game at the Gabba.
After Australia’s main training session on Tuesday in Galle, Konstas returned to the team hotel to start packing for his return to Sydney, after not being considered for selection for the second Test of the series.
Sam Konstas at training on Tuesday.Credit: Getty Images
The Australian selectors have chosen to send Konstas home early so he can play in the first round of Shield games after the Big Bash League, in particular because he has never played a first-class game in Brisbane before. The game between NSW and Queensland starts on Saturday.
“That’s the plan. Hopefully, I can be back for the first game,” Konstas told this masthead.
“It’s been a huge honour being in the squad and learning from the likes of Travis Head, Steve Smith, Usman Khawaja, the way they go about it. And obviously having experience in the Asian continent in Dubai.
“It’s been about understanding what works in these conditions, and hopefully I can emulate that after I get back to Sydney. Understanding your strengths and trying to do it for as long as possible in these conditions.”
The call to send Konstas home has also been made in the knowledge there will be a mooted Australia A tour of India later this year, likely affording him more time to play in south Asian conditions after the Dubai camp that preceded the Galle Test.
Konstas missed three days of the first Test as he was quarantined in his room with illness. He recovered in time to train on Tuesday.
Konstas’ non-selection for the first Test was subject to plenty of criticism in NSW, but he said he understood the selectors’ reasoning behind the decision to send Travis Head to the top of the order and include Josh Inglis on debut.
Inglis made a rapid century to vindicate his selection, and Konstas said he was not blindsided by the decision.
“I totally understood the decision, Travis Head’s a legend of the game and he’s been dominating in these conditions up top,” Konstas said.
“So for me it was trying to get exposure to Dubai, Sri Lanka, try to learn and I feel like I learned quite a bit about things if I do play in the subcontinent. That’s basically it.”
Earlier on Tuesday, Head had spoken about the value of Konstas’ presence on tour and the impact he has already had on Test cricket.
“Sam is a big part of where we’re going, no doubt about it,” he said. “Disappointing that he missed out on the first Test, but great for him to be here, great for him to be experiencing these conditions whether in the nets or not. He’s got a huge future.
“For someone to come in and take the game on like he did in Melbourne, just the confidence he’s got, it’s a good thing to have a young kid around with a bit of naiveness, plays the game the right way and [is] a good kid.
“It’ll just be how over the years he deals with adversity, and at this stage, it looks like he deals with it really well. He’s got a good character.”
News, results and expert analysis from the weekend of sport are sent every Monday. Sign up for our Sport newsletter.
