All posts by csb10.top

ScorecardThings went wrong for Gloucestershire after Gareth Roderick’s century•Getty Images

A day which some thought would confirm Essex as favourites to take Division Two’s single promotion place eventually did so but not without suggesting the type of resistance the leaders must overcome if they are to prevail.After a long day which warmed and brightened and even, at its best, confirmed the arrival of summer, Ryan ten Doeschate’s batsmen need another 197 runs with nine wickets in hand to clinch a victory that would give them a 23-point lead at the top of the table. Essex are in a dominant position but the loss of Jaik Mickleburgh’s wicket three overs before the close will have reminded the visitors that there is still serious work ahead of them.But the rather pleasant state of affairs for supporters travelling from Colchester and Clacton followed two very fruitful sessions for home loyalists in which Gloucestershire’s batsmen had made light of a 78-run first-innings deficit and had themselves established a decent lead of 153 runs with seven wickets in hand at tea.Gareth Roderick’s century and Chris Dent’s increasingly assured 72 had fortified the hopes of those frequenting the hopes of those in the Churchdown and Charlton Kings marquees that Essex might be set a stiff target on the final day of this match.However, once the openers were out, ten Doeschate’s bowlers greedily exploited the weakness of Gloucestershire’s later batsmen and the home side lost their last eight wickets for 62 runs with Matt Quinn removing four of the top seven batsmen to end with a match analysis of 11 for 63, comfortably the best of his career.Graham Napier also showed what a loss he will be to Essex when he retires at the end of the season by making short work of the Gloucestershire tailenders. The combination of Quinn’s hostility and Napier’s movement finally broke the home side.Foster took three catches off Napier and Quinn won a lively red-blooded exchange with Craig Miles, who whacked him for six over midwicket before giving a catch to ten Doeschate at leg slip next ball. Michael Klinger was left undefeated on 53 and three of Gloucestershire’s batsmen scored nearly 80% of their team’s runs”The clock hath ceased to sound…shadow is round the eaves / The long day closes” wrote the lyricist Henry Fothergill Chorley in his famously gloomy part-song collaboration with Arthur Sullivan. As Nick Browne and the nighwatchman, Jamie Porter, made their way off the College Ground at ten past seven, one could see what he meant but the Essex players will not give a hoot about hard work should they be celebrating a victory on Saturday afternoon.Nevertheless, it felt rather more than eight hours since grey cloud had lain quilted over the College Ground on the third morning of this game. That, of course, should not have brought either warmth or comfort to Gloucestershire’s cricketers. The change in atmospheric conditions had helped cause their ruination in the first innings and they probably longed for the benevolent sunlight enjoyed by Dan Lawrence on Thursday evening. Instead, they would have to bat in double-maths weather with no prospect of a visit to the tuck shop.But conditions which augured only struggle instead brought affluence in the first half of the day as Roderick and Dent put on 148 runs for their side’s first wicket in 31.3 overs. The warmth that had helped Quinn to make hay on the first afternoon was lacking. So instead of struggling against a late-swinging ball, the openers prospered on the cool, rain-haunted morning.Roderick cover-drove Porter to the schoolchildren on the boundary in the third over and that was the first of six crisp fours struck by Gloucestershire’s captain on the way to a 43-ball fifty, his sixth half-century of the Championship season. The last of these, a clattering pull off a short ball from Quinn also wiped out the deficit with which the home side had begun the day. The layered members in front of the pavilion applauded generously, although this may have been have been as much to warm themselves as to salute the landmark. ” ‘Ee gave ‘im some ‘ammer” said one.Either side of a half-hour break for drizzle, the openers put on 88 in the first session and were pleasantly settled when Nottingham and Cleeve Hills were reduced to grey shapes as more rain fell and the umpires called for an early lunch. Then the hills disappeared entirely and only the leaves on the trees persuaded one this was not October.Nevertheless, the cricket brought happiness to the primary school children from Northleach, Amberley and Thrupp and to the folk in the marquees sponsored by the Churchdown Club and Gloucestershire Arms. The former, rebelling against killjoy injunction, were both seen and heard whereas the latter’s comments could be made out ever more distinctly as the afternoon drifted on and hospitality did its work. Essex’s more frivolous appeals were treated to ribald mockery.The jocular mood was stilled a little when Ravi Bopara bowled Dent off the inside edge when the batsmen was only half-way through his shot and quietened even more when Graeme van Buuren was caught down the leg side for 25 by James Foster off Quinn. Then Roderick, after completing his first century of the season off 134 balls, was leg before to Bopara and the home side were 228 for 3.The ale still flowed in the tents, of course – this is the Cheltenham Festival and enjoyment has never been dependent upon success. But it should be the Essex players who are savouring their pints tomorrow afternoon

Hashim Amla has called on South Africa’s top six to take the responsibility for run-scoring and not leave it up to the lower order to finish games in the ongoing ODI tri-series in the Caribbean. South Africa are carrying a longer tail than usual in the tournament, and the lower order has failed to contribute in the three matches so far, but Amla said it was not up to the tail-end batsmen to get the team over the line.”As a team we have always backed ourselves for somebody in the top six to take it through and bat as deep as possible,” Amla said, ahead of South Africa’s match against West Indies on June 15. “Obviously we are very disappointed after our last game. We got ourselves into a very good position to win it and we didn’t quite take it through. We lost some wickets at crucial times and that cost us. Hopefully we don’t make the same mistake in the next game.”In their loss against Australia last Saturday, South Africa collapsed from 210 for 4 to 252 all out, losing 6 for 42. They had previously lost 7 for 28 in the opening defeat against West Indies and 6 for 91 in the victory against Australia. In the three matches so far, there were only two instances of a batsman in the bottom six getting into double figures: Farhaan Behardien’s 62 and Kagiso Rabada’s 15 in the game South Africa won.Effectively, that means South Africa’s tail begins when JP Duminy, who has not scored an ODI half-century in nine innings, is dismissed. Although Behardien has shown an ability to contribute, he has not done so consistently and Wayne Parnell has been unable to replicate the domestic form that led to his recall to the national side. The bowlers follow Parnell in the line-up, which leaves South Africa with no option but for the top six to pile on the runs, especially as they don’t have much in the way of reserves.The only additional batsman in the squad is Dean Elgar, who was brought in to replace the injured Rilee Rossouw, but including him in the XI is tricky. If Elgar were to come in, South Africa would have to leave themselves short in the bowling department. Another option is to lengthen the batting by including Chris Morris, possibly at Parnell’s expense. Morris has recovered from a hamstring niggle and is available for selection but, as a lower-order allrounder, the responsibility cannot be left to him alone.”It’s the responsibility of the batsmen. That’s what we enjoy doing and that’s what we would like to do,” Amla said. “We didn’t manage to do it in this game and I guess that does happen occasionally where you are not going to get it right, but we want to get it right as often as we can.”At least South Africa know conditions in Basseterre will assist them in their quest for more runs, although Amla warned not to expect some of the towering totals that have come to define one-day cricket recently.”It is a good wicket. It’s a higher-scoring ground than in Guyana, where 200 was a good total. Here 260 seems like a good score,” he said. “In this day and age, where we’ve seen scores of 350 in one-day cricket, it’s sobering to see 250 being a difficult score to get.”Australia managed 288 in their win against South Africa on Saturday, but their 265 was inadequate against West Indies on Monday. Amla believed if South Africa could get somewhere close to the 260-run mark, they would give themselves a chance. “The key is to try and get the team to score around 250 or 260. It’s a good enough wicket that you can to chase it down if you bat well.”If South Africa are faced with a higher chase, Amla said he expected the lower order to come into play. “In many games even chasing scores like 280, you end up needing your No.7, 8 and 9 to contribute a little bit,” he said. “It’s not a matter of batters or bowlers, it’s a collective effort to turn it around in the field as well as with the bat.”All the talk about the need for a better showing is because halfway through the round-robin stage, South Africa are at the bottom of the table. They have won only one match, though they have played one less than Australia. South Africa will now take on a buoyant West Indies, who are fresh off a victory over Australia, on Wednesday. With a maximum of 15 points still up for grabs, South Africa are by no means out of contention but, having failed to score as many runs as they would have liked, they know they are up against it. “We are all extremely hungry to turn it around and get back to winning ways but it’s still early in the competition,” Amla said.

Pakistan batsman and ODI captain Azhar Ali has backed fast bowler Mohammad Amir’s presence in the side for the tour of England, where the latter was charged for his involvement in the spot-fixing controversy in 2010, and has said that toughest phase in the bowler’s career is over. The PCB has submitted a visa request for Amir to clear his selection for the tour, before the team’s departure on June 18. Pakistan are set to tour England for four Tests, five ODIs and a T20I from July and are also scheduled to play two ODIs against Ireland.Azhar, along with senior allrounder Mohammad Hafeez, had opposed Amir’s return to the Pakistan side last year. The two players had refused to join a conditioning camp in December and the PCB later revealed it had turned down Azhar’s offer to resign over Amir’s inclusion in the camp. Azhar and Hafeez agreed to return ‘unconditionally’ to the camp after meeting with PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan.”[What happened in] 2010 is in the past and now we need to look forward,” Azhar said, when asked about Amir’s possible presence in England. “It has been a while now since he has been with us. It could have been tough, had he come in straight on such a tour, but now, after playing with us for a long time, things have settled. Even he isn’t under pressure because he has already made his comeback a few months ago and the toughest phase is over for him. I know England was the place where the incident [in 2010] happened but hopefully he can handle the pressure like he did on his comeback. But still if anything happens, we, as a team, will handle it.”The ECB has also indicated that it is supporting Amir’s visa application. “We understand Mohammad Amir has been selected to play in the forthcoming series in England. Any decision on his entry into the UK is ultimately one for the UK Government. We have spoken to the Pakistan Cricket Board and will provide any support the Government needs in making its decision. Support could also mean information and background,” a statement from the England board said last week.In November 2011, Amir – along with Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif – was sentenced in a London court on charges of conspiracy to accept corrupt payments and conspiracy to cheat at gambling after a plot was uncovered in a sting operation to bowl deliberate no-balls in a Test against England in 2010.Amir was given a six-month jail sentence and served half of it at the Portland Young Offenders Institution in Dorset. In January 2015, Amir was allowed to return to cricket ahead of schedule by the ICC, even as his five-year suspension period formally ended on September 1.The fast bowler has impressed since his return to cricket, playing international matches as well as Pakistan’s domestic competitions, the Bangladesh Premier League and the Pakistan Super League. Amir has taken five wickets in two ODIs and 11 wickets in as many T20Is in 2016, including a memorable 3 for 18 against India in the Asia Cup in February. He is part of the ongoing skills camp and is expected to feature in team that is likely to be announced later this week.Azhar, who made his international debut in England in 2010 against Australia, was confident his team that the team, currently ranked No. 3 on the Test rankings, had the ability to do well on the tour. Pakistan last won a Test series in England against the hosts in 1996. More recently, however, they have been beaten England in the UAE by 3-0 (January 2012) and 2-0 (October 2015) margins.”The England tour has always been challenging but the belief of doing good is important and we all have it,” he said. “If you have belief, then it will help you practically in the field. In Test cricket, we have been doing well with a settled and confident side. Conditions might be difficult there but every player has an aim to do well in the conditions to make Pakistan win.”The Pakistan team in the past has always been a competitive side. We either won or gave them tough competition. Previously in 2010, we had a very young side but this time we have experienced players both who were part of the tour that time, and some players who missed. So overall we have a good team to compete. Our bowling has always been good and England’s batting had always appeared vulnerable against them, so the idea is to utilize the combination.”Pakistan could face some trouble with the opening slot after Hafeez suffered a knee injury last week. The selectors could look at Sami Aslam, Shan Masood and Khurram Manzoor to fill the slot, but Azhar, who has settled in at No. 3, has said he is ready to open in Hafeez’s absence.”Hopefully things move accordingly to the plan,” he said. “A Test team has a settled order in which every player is consistent with his number. But in case anything happens then not only me but anyone is ready to play accordingly.”Pakistan will be training in Hampshire for almost a month before the Test series kicks off and are also scheduled to play tour matches, and Azhar believed this would give the team enough time to acclimatise to weather and pitch conditions.”We have the commitment and belief that we can win there and that’s the only thing the Pakistan nation should expect from us. We have trained hard and are even going to England well before the series starts, which will further help us adapt to the conditions.”Every player is important but the team obviously is depending on senior players. However, if every player contributes according to his role then I don’t see any reason Pakistan can’t do better. Talent is there, the middle order is experienced, specially Misbah-ul-Haq and Younis [Khan] , so I have full confidence that we can do well.”

Middlesex have announced that they are on the hunt for an overseas player in their bid to avoid relegation from Division One of the County Championship, with Pieter Malan leaving the club early after a poor season with the bat.Malan, who won three Test caps for South Africa in early 2020, re-signed for the summer after helping Middlesex secure promotion at the end of last summer but has struggled for form. He managed 221 runs at 14.73 across his eight Championship fixtures, with more ducks (five) than half-centuries (two).He also played eight games for them in the Blast, scoring 206 runs at a strike rate of 137.33, and did not feature in their One Day Cup campaign, with opportunities instead afforded to younger players. He has now returned to South Africa to captain Boland in domestic cricket.Alan Coleman, Middlesex’s director of cricket, said that Malan “would be the first to admit that this season has been a struggle for him on the field”. He added: “It most certainly isn’t through lack of effort and hard work on his part… however, sometimes things just don’t work out.”Middlesex, who sit third-bottom in Division One and are locked into a relegation battle with Kent and Northamptonshire, confirmed in a statement: “[We are] now looking for a replacement to feature in the run-in to the end of the season, with four crucial County Championship matches remaining.”Kemar Roach is returning to Surrey•Getty Images

Meanwhile, south of the River Thames, Surrey have secured the return of Kemar Roach as they look to secure a second successive Championship title. Roach took 18 wickets in five appearances for them earlier this year before returning home, but is coming back to South London for the run-in.Surrey are 17 points clear of second-placed Essex heading into the final month of fixtures, and will be without three fast bowlers on England duty in Gus Atkinson, Sam Curran and Reece Topley – though Curran and Topley have featured in one Championship match between them this season.Roach said: “Surrey is a second home for me and I’m looking forward to getting back down to business ahead of three massive games. We know what the goal is for the team and I’m going to give everything to help achieve it.”

New Zealand Cricket is set to introduce the concussion substitute rule in this season’s domestic limited-overs competitions – the McDonald’s Super Smash T20, which begins on December 4, and the 50-over Ford Trophy, which begins on January 15, 2017.The move came after two players – Canterbury opener Chad Bowes and Otago wicketkeeper-batsman Ryan Duffy – were forced out of games after being struck on the head.Bowes, who was hit by a Scott Kuggeleijn bouncer in Canterbury’s second innings against Northern Districts in the Plunket Shield game in Christchurch, was forced to retire hurt on 9 and missed the following two rounds.A bouncer from Lockie Ferguson resulted in Duffy falling onto his stumps after being struck in the second-round Plunket Shield match between Otago and Auckland. Duffy has not played since.New Zealand Cricket, however, will not have the concussion substitute rule in the Plunket Shield as the ICC had earlier rejected the idea for first-class cricket.The rule was used for the first time in the Matador Cup Elimination final in Sydney in October. New South Wales batsman Daniel Hughes was struck by a bouncer from Peter Siddle and was forced to retired hurt, before eventually being ruled out of the match.Under the new rule introduced by Cricket Australia this summer, the Blues were then entitled to pick a concussion substitute. The replacement player, Nick Larkin, then officially became part of the playing XI, and came in to bat at No. 8.In Australia, only a like-for-like player can be activated as a concussion substitute. In New Zealand however, the 12th man will be the replacement player to create a level playing field for away teams who travel with only 12 players, as opposed to Australia where sides carry more reserve players.

England’s miserable Ashes tour has reached the depths of their Lions side, who were beaten by an innings and 127 runs by an Australia A team.England’s alarming lack of Ashes depth has been further emphasised, after their Lions side were thrashed by an innings and 127 runs by Australia A in Brisbane.Fresh off the tourists’ heavy loss at the Gabba on Sunday leaving them 2-0 down in the Ashes, the Lions were humiliated 10 minutes down the road at Allan Border Field on Monday.Related

• Tribe hits ton for England Lions, Bethell in the runs

• Richardson stands out with four wickets as England Lions collapse

• McSweeney pushes Test recall case with double century

After being bowled out for 166 on Friday, England’s batting managed slightly better in their second innings before being all out for 295.Youngster Asa Tribe, who has played five ODIs for Jersey, finished unbeaten on 129, but Fergus O’Neill’s 4 for 53 for Australia A ensured there was no chance of a final-day draw.Those innings were sandwiched by Australia A’s 588 for 8 declared, with Nathan McSweeney using the match to push his Test claims with an unbeaten 226.The defeat follows a loss to a Cricket Australia XI last month, but most players featured in a first-innings win over a Prime Minister’s XI in Canberra.England’s senior side desperately need change ahead of next week’s third Ashes Test in Adelaide, but realistically their options are limited.Ollie Pope is under mounting pressure to keep his spot at No. 3, after failing to reach 50 in any of his first four innings of the series.But the man most likely to replace him, Jacob Bethell, is still yet to hit his maiden first-class hundred in a career spanning 25 matches.Bethell showed some signs of promise with a 71 against Australia A on Sunday, but his returns for the tour are now 3, 70, 44, 16, 19 and 71.Tribe’s century in the third innings in Brisbane has been the only hundred of the tour from an England Lions player, with no one sticking their hand up for selection.The bigger concern for England could be spinner Shoaib Bashir, after years of preparing him for this Ashes summer.The 22-year-old went for 0 for 115 from 25 overs against Australia A, with McSweeney pulling his first two balls for four on day one, and the match barely getting any better.Will Jacks was picked ahead of Bashir for the Gabba Test and took the wicket of Brendan Doggett, while offering some value with the bat.England’s back-up quicks Josh Tongue and Matthew Potts did not play in this Lions fixture, with Nathan Gilchrist taking 4 for 128 and Josh Hull 3 for 103.

Keshav Maharaj has been appointed Pretoria Capitals (PC) captain for the upcoming season of the SA20 league, replacing Rilee Rossouw. He was captain of Durban Super Giants until last season,”Maharaj brings a wealth of international pedigree across formats, along with a proven track record of guiding teams with composure, clarity and intent,” Capitals said in a statement on Friday. “Having captained South Africa in white-ball cricket and served as a senior figure within the national setup for several years, Maharaj’s leadership experience, tactical understanding and consistency make him an invaluable addition in this role. His presence strengthens the balance and direction of the Pretoria Capitals squad as the team heads into the new season.”Capitals have a revamped set-up this season, with Sourav Ganguly, the former India captain, taking over as head coach. Ganguly replaced Jonathan Trott and will be assisted by former South Africa captain Shaun Pollock.Related

• How the SA20 squads stack up after the auction

The franchise went into the auction in September with the biggest purse – 32.5 million Rand (US$1.85 million approx.) – and also the most slots to fill: 16. They splurged on Dewald Brevis, breaking the SA20 pay record by bidding 16.5 million Rand (US$945,000 approx.) on the batter.Maharaj was one of their big buys at the auction, where they also acquired Lungi Ngidi, Lizaad Williams, Craig Overton, Saqib Mahmood and Codi Yusuf, among others. Andre Russell, who recently retired as a player from the IPL before signing on as Kolkata Knight Riders’ (KKR) power coach, was acquired as a wild card, while Will Jacks and Sherfane Rutherford were their pre-auction signings.Capitals have had an up and down time in the SA20 so far: they finished the first season at the top of the table in the group stage, before losing to Sunrisers Eastern Cape in the final. In the two seasons since then – in 2023-24 and 2024-25 – they have had more middling results, finishing fifth both times and failing to qualify for the playoffs.The 2025-26 season of the SA20 begins on December 26 with a contest between MI Cape Town and Durban’s Super Giants. Capitals begin their season the following day with a fixture against Joburg Super Kings. The final will be played on January 25, 2026.

Gavin Larsen is to step down as Warwickshire’s performance director after 18 months in the role, the club have announced.Larsen moved to the UK from New Zealand in early 2023, taking over in a new role after Paul Farbrace’s departure as sporting director. Larsen had previously spent eight years as New Zealand selector.The former Black Caps seamer is set to return to his home country for personal reasons, although he will continue in the role until the new year to help the transition, with Warwickshire set to review their leadership structure, according to chief executive, Stuart Cain.”It’s been an absolute pleasure being part of the Bears family, and I’ve enjoyed every second of it,” Larsen said. “My tenure has been shorter than planned. But sometimes in life the odd curve ball can be thrown your way. That’s the case here.”It’s been a great ride and I certainly feel a big part of the Edgbaston family. People and relationships are always key in any walk of life. And here at Edgbaston I can honestly say it’s as positive an environment as I’ve been involved in.”I wish everyone at Edgbaston all the very best, and will always follow the club’s progress with enormous interest.”Warwickshire finished fourth and seventh in Division One of the County Championship during Larsen’s two seasons at the helm, as well as losing consecutive home quarter-finals in the T20 Blast.One of his final acts as performance director was to help secure the signing of fellow New Zealander Tom Latham for the 2025 summer.Cain said: “Gavin has a great energy and a depth of cricketing knowledge that is second to none. He has worked tirelessly to improve the high-performance environment at Warwickshire and he will be welcome back at Edgbaston any time. As they say, once a bear, always a bear.”Whilst not linked, we will now combine the findings of the high-performance review with the chance to freshen up our high-performance leadership team and make sure we give our men’s and women’s squads every chance of succeeding on the field in 2025 and beyond.”

Uncapped fast-bowling allrounder Chamindu Wickramasinghe is in line for his ODI debut after being included in place of Chamika Karunaratne in Sri Lanka’s 16-man squad to face West Indies, while legspinner Jeffrey Vandersay has been brought in for offspinner Akila Dananjaya.Karunaratne’s exclusion confirms the notion that he has simply fallen out of favour with the new selection and coaching regime. He last turned out for a game for Sri Lanka in the 2023 ODI World Cup despite being part of several squads since.But his downward trajectory has coincided with Wickramasinghe’s rise following impressive showings with the bat in July’s Lanka Premier League. He played in the first game of the T20I series against West Indies before increasingly spin-friendly surfaces meant Dunith Wellalage was preferred over him.

SL vs WI, men’s ODI series

Oct 20 – 1st ODI
Oct 23 – 2nd ODI
Oct 26 – 3rd ODI

Mohamed Shiraz, who was a late inclusion in the squad to face India – as one of the replacements for the injured pair of Matheesha Pathirana and Dilshan Madushanka – retains his place, though Madushanka is also back after having missed the T20I series against West Indies. However, Pathirana, who had played all three T20Is against West Indies, misses out. Asitha Fernando rounds out the pace options.On the spin-bowling front, a strong attack will be led by Maheesh Theekshana and Wanindu Hasaranga, with Vandersay and Wellalage providing options.Sri Lanka’s batting remains unchanged. Skipper Charith Asalanka heads a formidable unit containing the likes of Avishka Fernando, Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis, Kamindu Mendis, Janith Liyanage, Sadeera Samarawickrama and Nishan Madushka.The three-match series will start on October 20. All three games will be played in Pallekele.

Sri Lanka ODI squad for the series against West Indies

Charith Asalanka (capt), Avishka Fernando, Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis, Kamindu Mendis, Janith Liyanage, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Nishan Madushka, Dunith Wellalage, Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, Jeffrey Vandersay, Chamindu Wickramasinghe, Asitha Fernando, Dilshan Madushanka, Mohamed Shiraz

Sam Konstas’ mentor Shane Watson believes circumstances have thrown up a “perfect storm” for the teen prodigy to make his Test debut in the home series against India.Konstas announced himself as a Test bolter with twin Sheffield Shield centuries for NSW earlier this month and will feature for Australia A next week alongside the out-of-form Cameron Bancroft and another previous Test opener in Marcus Harris as the selectors narrow down their options.Related

• Batting issues loom over Australia with big five in focus

• Australia's opening gamble: Is Sam Konstas ready for Test cricket?

• Smith: 'Marnus and Uzzie hated me up top'

• 'A right-handed version of Warner': Josh Inglis launched into opening debate

• Sheffield Shield round-up: Openers stall, Smith frustrated, Carey flies

Matthew Renshaw is another with past Test experience while momentum is building behind the uncapped Nathan McSweeney and Josh Inglis is an out-of-the-box option, but with only six first-class games to his name, 19-year-old Konstas has also been considered as a bold option to partner Usman Khawaja at the top.Watson said selectors need only look to the player Konstas would replace for proof rare talents must be given early chances at Test cricket. Injured allrounder Cameron Green made his Test debut at 21 on India’s last tour of Australia, having been earmarked as a prodigy playing Sheffield Shield for Western Australia.Watson felt the age of the current playing group was further evidence of the need to inject young blood; there is no player younger than 30 who both played in Australia’s last Test match in March and is fit for the summer.”The whole situation is, in my mind, a perfect storm to be able to give him an opportunity to be able to play Test cricket,” Watson told AAP. “For me, this is an opportune time, knowing that the bowlers are aging, there’s Steve Smith and Usman Khawaja as a starting point who are aging.”They’ve still obviously got a lot of great cricket in front of them. But the one thing Australian cricket always did incredibly well was see someone who is different from all the younger stars coming through and get them into the Australian set-up, as early as they can within reason, to be able to help them learn.”Sam Konstas was presented his NSW cap by Shane Watson last season•Getty Images

Current captain Pat Cummins memorably became the second-youngest Australian debutant in Test history when the then-18-year-old earned a first baggy green on the 2011 tour of South Africa, while Konstas’ batting predecessors Ricky Ponting and Steve Waugh were both given the nod at 20.Watson himself can vouch for the benefits of earning international experience early, having first played ODI cricket as a 20-year-old.”There’s no doubt that my one-day cricket would never have evolved to the heights that it did without me being around the Aussie team [at a younger age],” said Watson, who went on to play in Australia’s 2007 and 2015 World Cup triumphs.Watson has been working with Konstas for the best part of four years, having first come across him as a student at Cranbrook – the Sydney school attended by Watson’s son.He named Konstas’ single-minded dedication to his craft as his most striking attribute.”From the first moment that I met Sam, the thing that jumped out at me the most was his desperate desire to be the best that he possibly could be,” Watson said. “The first time I had a net session with him as a 16-year-old, he hits the ball differently; the shot options that he has available to him and his defence.”But then knowing how diligently he has been working on his mental game as well, it absolutely does not surprise me to see what he’s able to do.”The mental side of cricket has been of particular interest to Watson towards the end of his career and into retirement, with his book recently adapted into an online skills course through SafetyCulture.