‘Learn more from failure’: Khawaja’s advice for Konstas

Usman Khawaja insists Sam Konstas indispensable find his ain way to the top of Test cricket but his elemental proposal for the 19-year-old is to clasp the intelligence broadside of the crippled and understand the metallic lining down failure.

Konstas is with the Australia A broadside successful India up of two four-day games successful Lucknow, the archetypal of which starts connected Tuesday.

Runs successful India won’t beryllium arsenic captious arsenic large scores successful the aboriginal Sheffield Shield rounds for Konstas when it comes to Ashes enactment but they besides won’t wounded his chances of partnering 38-year-old Khawaja successful the opening Test successful Perth.

Konstas averaged conscionable 8.33 connected a tough three-Test tour of the West Indies but helium wasn’t Robinson Crusoe connected what was a hard duty for each batters.Khawaja has ridden the highs and lows of Test cricket and recovered his ain way and ultimate reinvention aft the troughs, so when asked what proposal helium would person for Konstas to get successful the Ashes broadside helium spoke from experience.

“You person to larn for yourself. You larn way much from your failures than you bash from your successes,” Khawaja told AAP.

“For Sammy helium has got a agelong travel ahead. He is so young. At 19 I was learning my trade successful archetypal people (club cricket). He is learning it successful Test cricket.

“It’s a antithetic shot crippled and I think radical request to beryllium understanding of that. Will helium beryllium a aboriginal world people Test cricketer? I truly anticipation so, but there are nary guarantees successful sport.”

Khawaja understands Test cricket is played arsenic overmuch betwixt the ears arsenic it is connected the pitch, a connection helium has reinforced to Konstas.

“I speak to Sammy and we spent a batch of clip together successful the Windies where we talked a batch astir cricket and life. I think cricket and beingness spell hand-in-hand but it is simply a learning curve,” helium said.

“With batting, it is so overmuch a intelligence crippled so I try and tell Sammy and each the youngsters, ‘don’t negate however mentally important the crippled is’.

“Yes, you will work connected the carnal stuff and technique but you person to understand the intelligence broadside of this crippled if you want to beryllium successful.”

Konstas told AAP helium had leant connected Steve Smith and Khawaja a batch successful the formative stages of his vocation and two different cardinal men successful the background.

“I americium ever getting proposal from Usman. I’ve ever liked however relaxed and grounded his attack is,” helium said.

“I’ve got my batting manager Tahmid Islam and my mentor Shane Watson. They are well connected with (Australia coach) Andrew McDonald and our batting manager so they each stock ideas.

“With (Watson) it is much the intelligence broadside to beryllium honorable and not getting too fixated astir different opinions so I tin beryllium mentally caller during games.

“Tahmid has known maine since I was 13 and helium understands my game. I person ever had that adjacent narration with him. I don’t spot him arsenic a coach. I spot him much arsenic family.

“Of people to person guys similar Usman and Steve Smith successful the team, legends of the game, I americium grateful. I’m conscionable trying to larn from them. Hopefully I get different accidental and drawback it with some hands and cement my spot successful the team.”

Source: AAP