Former Australia captain Michael Clarke has strongly criticised the national selectors’ decision to drop Nathan McSweeney from the squad for the Boxing Day Test at the MCG against India in the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy. McSweeney, 25, made his debut in Perth but struggled in his six innings, scoring 10, 0, 39, 10*, 9, and 4.
Despite his lack of runs, Clarke believes the selectors made a wrong call by omitting him ahead of the crucial Test series.
Speaking on the Beyond 23 Cricket podcast, Clarke expressed his disbelief at McSweeney’s exclusion. “Nathan McSweeney has been dropped,” he said. “I can’t believe that. No matter who they picked in that opening position, they had to give him the series. I think the selectors have got this wrong. We’ve got Usman Khawaja who is 38 years old, and he’s made no runs. He’s a senior player.”
Despite not being a conventional opener – McSweeney typically bats one-down in domestic cricket. Clarke pointed to McSweeney’s technique and growing confidence, noting that he faced 212 deliveries in the first three Tests, significantly more than Marsh’s 141 and Khawaja’s 136.
Clarke also highlighted the contrasting experiences of the senior players in the team. “We’ve got Marnus Labuschagne, who before the series was under pressure and has made one decent score. Steve Smith batted like a genius to make a hard-fought hundred, but he’s also been under pressure,” he said.
“Everyone apart from McSweeney is over 30 years of age, some in their high 30s. What happens if Usman Khawaja retires in two Test matches? Does McSweeney then come back in, or does he go to the back of the queue? They’ve got to come out and say, ‘We made a mistake picking him.'”
Clarke on Konstas’ selection
The decision to drop McSweeney and instead call up 19-year-old Sam Konstas, who is yet to make his debut, has sparked further debate. While Konstas’ First-Class average of 42.23 is slightly better than McSweeney’s, Clarke questioned whether the youngster is truly ready for the challenge. Konstas’ impressive 107 in the warm-up pink-ball game against India, though notable, came against a Bumrah-less attack.
“What happens if Usman Khawaja retires in two Test matches? Does McSweeney then come back in, or does he go to the back of the queue?” he asked.
