Australian men’s cricket captain Pat Cummins has hit back at British press who have labelled boom new teenage opener Sam Konstas the sport’s version of Raygun ahead of next summer’s home Ashes series.
Konstas burst onto the scene on Day 1 of the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne, where he started reverse-ramping the world’s best bowler, Jasprit Bumrah, on his way to an exhilarating 60 from 65 balls on debut.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Pat Cummins hits back at Sam Konstas critics.
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The 19-year-old batting prodigy failed to reach 50 again in his three innings thereafter, but his mark on the series had already been made, having forced India to change their tactics with the new ball.
That’s not how UK reporter Barney Ronay saw it, though.
“During the India series, Konstas was installed as a cricketing version of Raygun the Olympic breakdancer, a fun, gimmicky approximation of the real thing,” Ronay wrote in The Guardian.
Asked about the attack on his teenage teammate, skipper Cummins laughed off the criticism.
“I don’t even know where to take that,” Cummins scoffed, speaking to 7NEWS.
“I’m pretty happy with Sammy, so I don’t really care what the UK think.”
Konstas was included in Australia’s Test squad to tour Sri Lanka later this month, but may lose his position in the team due to conditions.
Middle-order regular Travis Head has been mooted as a likely opening option alongside Usman Khawaja, having proven during the team’s 2023 tour of India that he can bat at the top of the order when he replaced David Warner, who went home early due to injury.
Cummins himself won’t be on the plane to Sri Lanka, having been rested as he recovers from a minor ankle complaint, and awaits the birth of his second child.
“(Recovery is) getting there now. Doing a bit of rehab, so (we’ll) see how the next few weeks pan out,” he told 7NEWS.
The 31-year-old has been named in Australia’s Champions Trophy squad next month, and will likely be there to captain the team in Pakistan as the tournament returns for the first time since 2017, but is by no means guaranteed yet, with family remaining his priority.
“My wife’s got a baby on the way so that’s the main focus then we’ll make a call a bit closer,” he said.