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Warner v O'Keefe: The case for and against Sam Konstas
SEN • October 14th, 2025 1:14 pm
THE CASE FOR KONSTAS:
Former Australian opener David Warner has urged selectors to stick with youngster Sam Konstas for this year’s Ashes series.
Konstas, who turned 20 this month, had a torrid Test series in the West Indies this winter, scoring just 50 runs from three games as many of Australia’s batters struggled on difficult wickets.
Those performances in his third, fourth and fifth career Tests had many call for him to be axed for this home summer, but Warner has seen enough from the New South Welshman early this season for him to remain at the top alongside Usman Khawaja against England.
With scores of 109, 27 not out, 49 and 3 from four innings for Australia A against India A last month in Lucknow, Warner thinks that Konstas showed everyone what he can do when he opts to build an innings.
“He scored that hundred in the Australian A series. He batted outstandingly there,” Warner said at Fox Cricket’s Season Launch.
“I don’t think we’ve seen exactly what we know Sam Konstas can do.
“Last year, he probably got overwhelmed by the occasion, and we saw some very ‘highlight’ cricket.
“I’ve seen him build innings, I’ve seen him play some fantastic innings, and I’d like to see him go back to just doing that.”
Another thing that may play into Konstas’ hands is the fact that England doesn’t have Jasprit Bumrah in their line-up after the Indian quick dominated Australia’s top order last summer.
He also believes that looking elsewhere to another player who’s tried and failed previously could be looking for a short-term fix to a long-term answer.
“(England) doesn’t have a Jasprit Bumrah, so he doesn’t have to worry about that. They’ve got some fast bowlers, but he can tackle that,” Warner said.
“I’d like them to stick with Sam and give him a crack because at the end of the day, I don’t know if it’s a short-term fix if they try and find someone else.
“They were mentioning Mitch Marsh and Josh Inglis, but again, there’s no reason why Sam Konstas can’t do that role.”
THE CASE AGAINST KONSTAS;
While Warner is confident in Konstas, former Test spinner Steve O'Keefe is not sold on the teen starting in Perth.
"Konstas, I just need one score from him, one hundred," he said on SEN 1170's Drive Home. "A big score and he is in but if I had to pick tomorrow, he is not in.
"What Marnus brings to a team is not just his batting but his energy, but, if you’re picking a player right now, it’s Weatherald.
"There is Konstas, Labuschagne, Renshaw, it feels like there’s 200m to go and I don’t want to pick a winner yet.
"You can’t pick Konstas on form right now even though he is the future.
"We picked Konstas (against India last year) because we realised he has potential.
"What we need as in opener is for you to back you’re A-game for a long time and be sustainable. He came out with a game plan against Bumrah which worked, but in the West Indies he didn’t have any answers and that’s the inexperience.
"He is learning but it’s a big ask for him to go to Perth against Archer, we know he thrives in this, but it’s a big ask for him to do this without any runs under his belt.
"I’m not sure that the moment if even he is confident in his A-Game. Picking him right now would be a huge risk."
The first Test between Australia and England begins on November 21 at Optus Stadium. Catch every ball of the Ashes on SEN - your home of cricket.
