Cricket news 2024: Doug Walters shone in Tests at 19 and thinks Sam Konstas can too

Doug Walters burst on to the scene batting for Australia at 19, now he is urging selectors to be bold and pick a 19-year-old Blue to open the batting this summer for the Test series against India.

Doug Walters, himself a Test batting sensation at 19, reckons it’s time to give a kid a break.

Walters is hoping Australia makes the bold decision to give NSW batting tyro Sam Konstas a place in Australia’s first Test team to play India in Perth next month.

Konstas is the talk of Australian cricket after strikingly innings of 152 and 105 against South Australia in this week’s Sheffield Shield.

Next year is the 60th anniversary of Walters’ stunning Test debut when he made 155 against England at the Gabba, also as a 19-year-old prodigy.

While the cricket world tends to fret over the pitfalls of blooding young players Walters points out there are also benefits of being fresh and fearless.

Doug Walters with Sir Donald Bradman.

“At 19 you don’t have too many nerves or worry about too many things,’’ Walters said.

“I never worried about things much until I was confronted with them. That was my attitude in life and hopefully that is his.’’

Craig McDermott often tells the story of asking a young Glenn McGrath whether he was nervous before his Test debut in Perth in 1994. When McGrath said “surprisingly I can’t feel many nerves’’ McDermott replied “don’t worry … they’ll come … they build up over the years.’’

Walters added: “I think it is worthwhile taking a risk (on Konstas) when you see what is happening within the team. I would prefer to see Steve Smith back into his normal position (at number four).

“(Fellow opener) Usman Khawaja is not a young guy and he is not going to be around forever. And we are struggling for openers.

“It would have been easier for him had you been playing India in Australia 20 years ago. They have an excellent bowling attack now. But I still think it is worthwhile taking a risk.’’

With Cameron Green set to miss the entire series with a back injury Australia has some deep thinking to do for the present and future.

What a match from Sam Konstas. Picture: Getty Images

Australia’s first preference this summer was to keep its establish top six but reshuffle the order with Smith moving back to No 4 and perhaps Travis Head or Mitchell Marsh shifting to opener.

But with Green gone that plan is likely to be revised and Australia is likely to blood a specialist opener.

Marcus Harris opened the Sheffield Shield season with a century but Cameron Bancroft started with two ducks and Matt Renshaw six in the first innings against Western Australia in Perth.

Australia’s selectors have never been in love with this group of fringe openers.

Konstas’ prospects of playing would have been better had Australia been playing any nation bar India or England.

The thought of exposing a 19-year-old batsman to the brilliance of India’s mesmeric opening bowler Jasprit Bumrah is chastening but the consolation is that if the youngster could handle that he could handle anything.

With Khawaja turning 38 in December Australia knows it must find not one but two openers post haste and are yet to convinces itself who are the right choices.

Originally published as Cricket news 2024: Doug Walters shone in Tests at 19 and thinks Sam Konstas can too