Perth: New opener Nathan McSweeney has absorbed the first hostile spells of his Test career on and off the pitch, and hopes to continue the trend on what shapes as a very lively Perth surface for the first Test against India.
McSweeney weathered the speediest efforts of Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood in a centre wicket session at the WACA Ground on Monday and weaved out of the way of former Test player and current Cricket NSW director Ed Cowan’s criticism.
McSweeney, whose promotion ended any possibility of Travis Head being moved up the order to take on retired opener David Warner’s former role, was also defended by his new teammates on Monday. Head refused to answer questions about his own potential as a like-for-like replacement for Warner.
Cowan, who has a regular podcast spot on the ABC, had argued that the selectors were “guessing” by picking South Australian No.3 McSweeney to open with Usman Khawaja. The frank words were a departure from the 25-year-old’s previously low-profile cricket career.
“I have the guys in my corner I really trust and value their opinion and I haven’t spent heaps of time with Ed,” McSweeney said. “I think for me I know what works and I feel very capable to go and do the job and I’m batting the best I ever have, I feel. Hopefully I can go out there and execute that on Friday.
“It [criticism] happened quite quickly. You’re playing a bit of Big Bash, but there’s definitely more talk around playing for your country, as there should be, it’s what you wanted to do since you were a kid. Being able to lean on the guys who have experienced it, it doesn’t change the way I prepare or try and go out and play.
“I’ve got so many supporters I want to make proud. So much family that’s sacrificed so much to get to where I am today and so many coaches that have thrown that many balls to me. Hopefully I can go out there and play really well and do them proud.”
Nathan Lyon, who bowled to McSweeney when he saved a Sheffield Shield game for South Australia against NSW earlier in the season, said that while he was surprised by the critique, the media required opinionated voices “to stay relevant”.