Nathan McSweeney has responded to being dropped from the Australian Test squad midway through the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series in about the best way possible, taking his removal with grace before blasting 78* to help the Heat overcome the Strikes in the Big Bash League.
In a moment that must have also felt sweet for McSweeney, Brisbane fans roared when he came out.
McSweeney was – very understandably – “devastated” after being told he was out of the squad for the Melbourne Test match on Boxing Day. I get the dream come true and then didn’t quite work out the way I wanted,” he told media after the news broke, before adding: “I’ll get my head down and get back in the nets and work really hard.”
He’s already started off well on that front with his unbeaten 78 in the BBL game; itself a simply sublime answer to the scratching many suspected may have been coming since as far back as early Adelaide.
Even better from the young batter though was his grace amid the Sam Konstas hype.
The Sporting Base understands McSweeney was among the first to call Konstas after the 19-year-old was named in the Melbourne squad, congratulating the man who had, by all accounts, taken his place in the struggling batting lineup.
“We are great mates,” Konstas said when asked about it days later, “and he texted me straight away congratulating me which sums him up as a bloke because he is so humble and very giving. He’s an outstanding batsman in all three formats… I wished him all the best and hopefully, he goes well.”
These answers (both his poise in messaging Konstas and his power with the bat in the Big Bash League) will have to have pinged on the selectors’ radar instantly. McSweeney could have imploded somewhat after missing out on Melbourne and Sydney; instead, he’s taken it on the chin and got to work basically straight away.
Whatever will be, will be seems to be McSweeney’s attitude now – there can be no hard feelings among the players, of course, and the 25-year-old knows he isn’t ruled out forever. The aging guard in the Australia Test match squad will begin hanging up their boots soon and that opens the door for the Brisbane boy to have a second crack.
For the time being though, he just is taking time to process the news with family and friends in Queensland before figuring out where he wants to go next.
“If there’s ever a place to come back to after getting some bad news it’s here with family and some of the boys I grew up playing with,” McSweeney told ABC Sport on Friday.
“As much as it’s not ideal, it’s a nice place to be for Christmas with family and friends.”
