Australia's Nathan McSweeney in action at the Big Bash League in 2023.
Credit: X/@HeatBBL
Dubai: Former skipper Ricky Ponting believes that Australia 'A' team skipper Nathan McSweeney is better bet to make Test debut against India compared to teenager Sam Konstas, who flopped against India 'A' in both innings in the ongoing "Unofficial Test" in Mackay.
There were three candidates Konstas, McSweeney and veteran Marcus Harris giving audition for opener's slot in upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy. McSweeney with 39 in first essay and unbeaten 47 till third evening looked the most assured of the trio. "I thought a bit more about it, and he (Konstas) is so young and he has probably not even played on grounds like Optus Stadium or at the Gabba," Ponting told the ICC Review show.
"He wouldn't have played a pink-ball (match) at Adelaide Oval either. So there's a lot of things that stack up against the young guy, although there's no doubt that he's got talent," said Ponting.
Ponting doesn't think George Bailey and his panel would go back to Cameron Bancroft and Harris and hence McSweeney is the obvious choice.
"Another thing that I'd said then was that I don't think they'd go back to a (Cameron) Bancroft or (Marcus) Harris - because if they're willing to do that, they would've done it the last year.
"So the only name left for me more or less is Nathan McSweeney... he got the most out of any of those guys from the A game in Australia at the moment. And he's more experienced," he said.
"He (McSweeney) has captained Australia A in the past, and he's captaining them now. So I'm leaning towards McSweeney now for that opening role at the start of the Australian summer," Ponting reasoned.