The Australia Cricket Team previously announced their Test squad for the remainder of the Border Gavaskar Trophy. Young batter Nathan McSweeney was dropped as another youngster Sam Konstas got his chance. However, former Aussie captain Michael Clarke is not at all happy with the decision and has fired shots at the Australian selectors.
Nathan McSweeney got his maiden Test call-up for the IND vs AUS Test series. Despite not being an opener, he was tasked to open with Usman Khawaja. This was mainly due to the fact that the hosts failed to get an opener after David Warner’s retirement. And Steve Smith’s opener experiment failed.
The 25-year old young batter couldn’t play big knocks and thus was snubbed for the remainder of the two Test matches. “Everyone apart from Nathan McSweeney is over 30 years of age, and high 30s. What are we going to do? Continue to give a youngster two or three games, drop him, try someone else and keep these older players?” Clarke said on the Beyond23 cricket podcast.
“What happens if Usman Khawaja in two Test matches retires? Does McSweeney then come back in, or does he go to the back of the queue? They (selectors) have got to come out and say: ‘We made a mistake picking him.’ This could end Nathan McSweeney’s career. They picked him, he deserved the summer.”
- Will Gambhir try Rishabh Pant or Nitish Reddy in IND vs SA 3rd ODI with series on the line?
- RR captaincy decision after IPL 2026 auction, confirms Riyan Parag
- Gambhir under pressure? India assistant coach admits ‘desperation’ to win ODI series after Test whitewash
- 5 star players who can go unsold at IPL 2026 auction
- Is India vs Pakistan battle dipping in popularity? Google data suggests so
Clarke went on to emphasize how Nathan McSweeney deserved to play the entire summer and not just 2 Test matches. He explained further that all the batters are in their 30s while he is in his mid-twenties. He blamed the seniors for making a wrong call. He further blasted the selectors by claiming that Usman Khawaja is 38 years old and being a senior player he has also failed to score runs.
“No matter who they picked in that opening position, they had to give him [McSweeney] the series. I think the selectors have got this wrong. We’ve got Usman Khawaja who has just turned 38, Ussie has made no runs. He’s a senior player,” Clarke concluded.
Editor's Pick
Cricket
Will Gambhir try Rishabh Pant or Nitish Reddy in IND vs SA 3rd ODI with series on the line?
Top Stories
