Last Updated on 16 seconds ago by Charbel Coorey
Nathan McSweeney is hopeful of getting another opportunity in Australia’s Test XI, but accepts he needs to remain patient and continue putting runs on the board. McSweeney, who played three Tests as opener against prime Jasprit Bumrah, is currently plying his trade for Northamptonshire in the County Championship, where he has scored 638 runs in nine matches at 45.57.
Australia’s batting is in the spotlight amid a tough few years in terms of run-scoring, with the recent series against Bangladesh further exposing some of the issues. Marnus Labuschagne’s spot is reportedly hanging by a thread as he is without a Test century since July 2023, averaging under 25 in this period.
Nathan McSweeney: Always hoping to get an opportunity
McSweeney is considered a chance of making Australia’s squad for the upcoming tour of South Africa. He and Kurtis Patterson are believed to be the frontrunners for the number three spot should the selectors opt to drop Labuschagne.
Speaking to Cricinfo’s Matt Roller, McSweeney says his main focus is playing as many Tests as possible.
“You’re always hoping to get an opportunity, for sure, but as a player, I try to keep my head down,” McSweeney said. “Playing for Australia is the ultimate goal: growing up in Australia and playing domestic cricket, you want to play as many Tests as possible, and that’s definitely still my main focus.
“But ultimately, you can’t really control these things other than your own performances. You’ve just got to try to make as many runs as possible, keep learning, keep growing… Hopefully, from my experiences playing Test cricket, Shield cricket and county cricket, if I do get another go, I can grab it with both hands and hit the ground running.”
McSweeney is also a potential future Test captain, having led South Australia to back-to-back Sheffield Shield titles. He has also skippered Australia A on numerous occasions. However, runs is the key currency, and a batting average of 28.05 in last season’s Shield – albeit on tricky pitches – is room for improvement.
McSweeney’s strength is batting time. His strike rate in 65 First Class matches stands at 43.76. Going forward, a player occupying the crease could serve Australia well, but the selectors would like to see more.
“They [the selectors] were great in being pretty transparent on. ‘I think we need to see you fire a few more shots and be harder to bowl at,’ basically. I’ve definitely taken that into account, tried to add some more scoring areas, and give the bowler less margin to just run in and bowl at me,” McSweeney said.
“That’s probably my main learning from Test cricket: if you allow Test cricketers to run in and just bowl at you, they’re pretty good, and they don’t really give you too much. You’ve got to find a way to add a little bit more pressure on them, so if they do miss, you are really looking to score and put them under the pump where you can.”
There are debates among Australian pundits and within the fanbase as to whether McSweeney can succeed at the top level. Earlier this month, Ian Chappell put it bluntly and said “he’s not a Test player.”
“Everyone’s got a job to do, and got an opinion,” McSweeney said. “It’s not going to stop me from trying my best and trying to make as many runs as possible, and hopefully to prove him [wrong] would be nice, but it’s not a motivator for me. I’ll just keep trying to do me, and hopefully that results in getting another opportunity.”
Australia’s Test series in South Africa begins on October 9. The squad is expected to be named in early-to-mid September.
