BGT: Travis Head sent newly picked Aussie opener Nathan McSweeney this hilarious welcoming message | Cricket News
It is not just the daunting prospect of facing Jasprit Bumrah first-up as opener, for the career No 3 Nathan McSweeney, picked in Australia’s 13-member squad for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy starting November 22. But the 25-year-old was also reminded of the other inevitability of debuting in the Baggy Green a hilarious Travis Head text message. McSweeney will be expected to – as is the tradition – take on the responsibility of fielding at forward short leg or silly point.
Fox News Cricket quoted a chuckling McSweeney as saying, “I just got a text from Travis Head saying: ‘I can give you my bat pad pads’ – so I’ll be straight under there I would’ve thought.” It is a given that the junior most will line up in the line of fire, for the bat-pad pop-ups and edges when both pacers and spinners operate in Australia, starting Perth.
McSweeney has been performing pretty consently over the last couple of years in Shield cricket for South Australia after landing just 4 red ball games for Queensland earlier. “I feel like my game’s ready,” he was quoted as saying, after having scored 6 first class centuries, albeit at one-drop.
Nathan McSweeney is set to make his Test debut. (Cricket Australia)
But he draws inspiration to face the swinging ball at start of innings from Usman Khawaja, who routinely batted at three and four in his career before being drafted in the opening role.
“It’s one position earlier than I normally do; my prep is the exact same, I train with the new ball,” McSweeney told Fox News. “I’m just really looking forward to the experience and the opportunity. I’ll go back to Adelaide and hit with my batting coach in South Australia, and get ready for an important series (and) really work on what I feel like I need to do to be ready.”
Khawaja has been on the circuit for a dozen years, but McSweeney says his partner doesn’t much fancy facing the new ball. “I’ve heard that Uzzie isn’t the biggest fan of (facing the first ball); I faced the first ball in both innings out here (at the MCG during Australia A innings against India A) so I’m comfortable with that,” he was quoted as saying.
The youngster also faced the likes of Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood at age 19, in net sessions when they were preparing for the Ashes in 2019. “I had them all in the net session, and walked out of that feeling like I was 4”11,” McSweeney told media on Sunday morning. “It was like a golf ball coming down — I remember calling Dad saying: ‘I’m not sure how anyone faces these guys’; so hopefully it’s a little bit different now and I can hold my own. They’ve been the best bowling attack in world cricket for a while, so there’s probably no better preparation than to get in there and face them,” he said.
