David Warner has urged Sam Konstas to ignore the inevitable barbs from the UK press and English cricket fans ahead of next summer’s Ashes after a leading British journalist described the Australian youngster as the sport’s version of Raygun.
Konstas, who will play for the Thunder against the Sixers on Friday night in Sydney, stunned the cricket world by blasting 60 on Test debut in an innings that will forever be remembered for audacious ramp shots off one of the game’s best fast bowlers, Jasprit Bumrah.
Raygun vs Konstas
Scores of 60, eight, 23 and 22 gave Konstas a return of 113 runs at an average of 28.25 from his first two Tests, both of which Australia won.
However, it was his bold approach that has polarised cricket fans.
Some are convinced he is a once-in-a-generation talent. Others believe he’s a slogger who won’t survive as a Test opener.
In a column for the Guardian, respected sports writer Barney Ronay likened Konstas to infamous Australian breakdancer Raygun, whose comical Olympic performance propelled her into the spotlight for all the wrong reasons.
“There was a sense during the India series of Konstas being installed as a cricketing version of Raygun the Olympic breakdancer, a fun, gimmicky approximation of the real thing,” Ronay wrote.
“This is a nation that seems convinced the future of cricket is a spunky, mulletted, wispy-moustachioed bloke who hasn’t scored any runs but whacks it in interesting ways.
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