He expressed his doubts about two of the finest talents.
Former Australia captain Allan Border has made blunt remarks about a few players ahead of the Ashes 2025. He expressed his doubts about two of the finest talents – Sam Konstas and Cameron Green – and mocked the former for playing those funky shots.
Konstas has been known for playing his signature ramp shot, which has acted as a double-edged sword, for it has reaped him a few runs but also resulted in dismissals at times. While speaking in an interview on SEN, Border exclaimed that he had seen Konstas play that ramp shot only and questioned whether he could play traditional shots like cover drive.
“Sam Konstas – I’ve only ever seen him play a ramp shot. Can he cover drive or anything like that? I don’t know. We just haven’t seen it. He’s constantly trying to play this bloody ramp shot. It’s a handy shot to have in the kit bag, but I’d be leaving it there for a while until I’ve got a few on the board first.”
After a decent India tour, Konstas has had a poor start to the Sheffield Shield, registering scores of 4, 14, 0, & 53 across four innings and falling behind in the pecking order despite playing the West Indies series. He has still shown issues with the moving ball, especially against the incoming deliveries, and treacherous batting pitches in the Ashes can exacerbate his case.
As if a jibe at Sam Konstas wasn’t enough, Allan Border also went on to suggest that Australia should drop Cameron Green, who recently earned a new role at No.3. The legendary player feels Green doesn’t have the technique to succeed at one drop and wants Beau Webster as an all-rounder in the Perth Test.
“I’m just a bit concerned. They want him (Green) to bat at No.3, and I just don’t think his technique is suitable for that job. I just can’t see him batting at three.”
While Border has given his verdict on the talented all-rounder, Green was among the most assured batters in arduous conditions in the West Indies and showed application to handle movement better than most other batters. He was the third-leading run-getter in the series despite being in a completely new role, and he gained the management’s confidence.
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Maybe No.3 is too high a position for Green, but Australia’s options are limited, and he is one of their best talents with the bat, while his bowling remains a bonus. Australia will likely open with Marnus Labuschagne, and the all-rounder will continue at No.3, which seems the right move, as it will give continuity and assurance to Green in a fairly new role.
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