Australia is one of few countries in the world of cricket that constantly introduces new hot prospects. That’s one of the main reasons why the Australian U19 cricket team are 4-time World Champions. Among its most recent teenage sensations that came to light is Sam Konstas.
This 19-year-old incredible opening batter began his professional domestic career in November 2023 while playing for the New South West. A few months before that, Konstas was named in the Australian U19 team for an England tour. Now, he has signed his first Cricket Australia contract.
The Australian Cricket Team Isn’t Playing Games: Konstas’ First Contract Details
Following his outstanding Boxing Day Test debut, Cricket Australia rewarded Sam Konstas with his first central contract. This means that this young opening batter will most certainly be part of the World Test Championship final and the Ashes against England.
The featured contract shows that Cricket Australia wants the best players available for the team. In recent months, Konstas proved that he can be a powerful addition to the current national team.
As a new player, Konstas’ 2025/26 contract will get him a base of around $350,000 before match payments. This is a significant pay rise of around $225,000 compared to his NSW cricket deal.
Following the contract and certain media criticism, Konstas’ management team decided to impose a ban on media. This is a temporary ban that hopefully won’t last for months and months.
Such an approach doesn’t put his upcoming Cricket Australia matches in danger. It would have been an issue if he got a ban for betting or gambling on card games. Three players went through such troubles in 2016 as they received suspensions of up to 2 years.
Apart from Sam Konstas, Cricket Australia also included two additional players to the 2025/26 contract list. Those are 31-year-old all-rounder Beau Webster and 28-year-old spinner Matt Kuhnemann. Both represent Tasmania in domestic cricket.
Konstas’ Burst Onto the Cricket Scene
The wider cricket audience first heard of Sam Konstas during the Boxing Day Test match against India. He destroyed Indian cricket star Jasprit Bumrah as he scored 60 off 65 balls alongside six fours and two sixes. Such a memorable debut is what every young player dreams of.
Die-hard Aussie cricket fans know Konstas from much earlier. They first saw him at the 2023/24 Sheffield Shield where he played 4 matches. His performances were decent as he scored 4 innings and 155 runs, averaging 25.83.
However, his performance improved greatly in the following season of the same competition. Konstas scored 6 innings, 471 runs, and two centuries in 5 matches. This comes with an average of 58.87.
His first century in first-class cricket came on October 8th 2024 while playing against South Australia. In this match, he accumulated 152 runs from 241 deliveries. During the second innings of the same event, Konstas made his second century. He’s the youngest cricketer to score back-to-back hundreds at the Sheffield Shield since Ricky Ponting in 1993.
Sam Konstas made his professional T20 debut for Sydney Thunder and his Big Bash League debut in December 2024. He managed to get the fastest 50 for Sydney Thunder in the Big Bash League history. This player managed that in 20 deliveries. Konstas ended the match with 56 runs, two sixes, and eight fours.
Players Under Contract by Cricket Australia
Before signing his first Cricket Australia contract, Sam Konstas remained out of both Test matches in Sri Lanka. The national team selectors preferred Travis Head as the top-order batsman to go against veteran Usman Khawaja. This seemed reasonable as he’s much more experienced than Konstas.
However, this shouldn’t demotivate the young opening batter as he has plenty of time to show off his skills. He’s definitely the next star in Australian cricket and remains in the focus for upcoming competitions.
Australia will participate in the World Test Championship final in June this year. After that, the national cricket team will go against the West Indies in a multi-format series. Konstas and his squad will also play the first of 5 Ashes Test events in Perth in November 2025.
George Bailey, the Chairman of selectors, sounded evasive when a reporter asked him about Konstas returning for the WTC deciding match. This question followed after Head’s definite return to middle order for the clashes at Lord’s.
He said that they see Sam as a young and promising player who will get even better at a first-class level and international environment.
Apart from Sam Konstas, there are 22 other cricketers under contract with Cricket Australia. Those are Travis Head, Xavier Bartlett, Glenn Maxwell, Alex Carey, Matt Short, Matthew Kuhnemann, Pat Cummins, Nathan Lyon, Adam Zampa, Jhye Richardson, Nathan Ellis, Mitchell Marsh, Usman Khawaja, Cameron Green, Beau Webster, Scott Boland, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Lance Morris, Marnus Labuschagne, Josh Inglis, and Steve Smith.
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