'I don't have any regrets': Konstas has message for critics as the Test opener makes key tweak before Ashes
Sam Konstas doesn’t care for regrets or critics.
And by putting himself on a self-imposed social media ban, the teenager hunting an opening spot in a home Ashes series has ensured he will hear as little of the latter as possible.
The 19-year-old is set to play two four-day matches in India for Australia A before targeting four Sheffield Shield games for NSW with a goal of finding the red-ball form that eluded him on a tough tour of the West Indies.
Whatever happens in the next two months, you can be sure the charismatic young gun won’t be giving two hoots over what outsiders say about his approach.
Konstas dazzled the cricket world on Boxing Day last year against India on Test debut with a flamboyant and audacious 60 off 65 balls. Critics said he would not be able to play that way on a regular basis and succeed.
Runs have since proven elusive and Konstas did not pass 25 in his next nine Test innings.
He is competing with a plethora of candidates to partner Usman Khawaja for the opening Ashes Test in Perth but has not regrets about his approach on debut against Jasprit Bumrah and company.
“I wouldn’t change it,” Konstas told AAP.
“I don’t have any regrets in my life to be honest. I thought that was the right method at the time and it paid off.
“I don’t get too fixated about what others say. Whatever I feel is right I totally commit to.
“My method is someone who is an aggressive batsman that likes to take on the game, while understanding the game situation when I do play well.
“It is about trying to score runs and win games.
“The more experiences I have in different conditions the more I will adapt. I have to find my method and what works best in each situation.”
What also works best for Konstas is not having social media. He went from a relative unknown to a global attraction overnight with 281,000 followers on Instagram.
Watching the ball and not his phone screen is now the focus.
“I never had social media until I was 18. I had it for a year and now I have taken a break from it to be more present and try and get back in the Ashes squad,” Konstas said.
Sam Konstas takes a swing at the SCG. (Photo by Morgan Hancock – CA/Cricket Australia via Getty Images)
“It is just about focusing on myself and trying to give it a good crack.
“Everyone uses social media differently but I feel now is the right time to get off it. I don’t read my comments on Instagram. I don’t care what other people say to be honest but everyone has their opinion.”
Konstas heads to India with confidence and valuable lessons already under his belt.
“I’ve had a few experiences in the subcontinent,” Konstas said.
“I was lucky enough to be in the MRF Academy last year and to tour Sri Lanka as well with the Aussie boys. Hopefully I can score plenty of runs and adapt to those conditions.
“It is about trying to be in the present moment with any game I play whether it be my club team, NSW or Australia A ahead of the Ashes.
“I got so much out of my first time in the Caribbean and facing a quality fast attack. The wickets were tough to bat on.
“For me it was about trying to find methods for scoring runs in those conditions and understanding the bounce is variable and trying to find another method, if I do go again.”
Golden Knights Goalie Gunning for Canada’s Starting Role
Adin Hill is entering the first year of a six-year contract extension with the Vegas Golden Knights. The 29-year-old puck-stopper started a career best 50 games last year for the Knights and emerged as an integral piece of the Vegas organization. He also made his case to be an integral piece of Canada's 2026 Winter Olympics Roster.
The Golden Knights starter served as a backup to St. Louis Blues veteran and Canada starter Jordan Binnington at the 4 Nations Face-Off earlier this year, and the two are leading the race for the top role next winter. Hill faces a tough task trying to usurp the starting job from Binnington, a former Stanley Cup winner, but he's the challenger best equipped to do so.
Give More Than You Get
Hill was solid in nearly every aspect of goaltending last season. According to NHL EDGE, his save percentage in all offensive zone locations was above the league average, watermarked by a nearly perfect .978 save percentage on long-range shots on goal and a .897 save percentage on mid-range shots on goal. Both figures ranked above the 60th percentile of all NHL goalies last season. His goals-against average of 2.47 ranked in the 90th percentile among goalies.
Hill also was routinely making saves on quality scoring chances when the Golden Knights’ defense broke down. MoneyPuck’s model for expected goals calculated 135.53 expected goals were launched on Hill, but he only allowed 121 goals against. That resulted in his goals saved above expected finishing at 14.5, better than the figures posted by notable top netminders like Jake Oettinger of the Dallas Stars and Linus Ullmark of the Ottawa Senators.
Size Advantage
Hill stands at an imposing 6’4” and 215 pounds. He possesses the ideal size for a modern goaltender, and it’s a huge part of how his game succeeds. His long legs allow him to move laterally with ease and less effort, nearly eliminating the bottom half of the net.
It also makes him ideally suited to withstand the rigorous tournament the Olympics will surely be. Teams in the field like Czechia, Finland, Sweden and the United States have the forward depth to keep pushing and get to the high-danger scoring areas. One possible way to combat that is Hill’s large frame.
His size also eliminates angles for shooters. When he pushes off his post, he leaves the shooting forward with no net to see. This is exhibited by his save percentage on unblocked shots. Using MoneyPuck’s data on unblocked shot attempts from last season, Hill posted a low-danger save percentage of .973, a medium-danger save percentage of .888 and a high-danger save percentage of .730.
Why is that impressive? Each statistic exceeded expectations. The same model of expected goals from MoneyPuck predicted an expected high-danger save percentage of .679, an expected medium-danger save percentage of .877 and an expected low-danger save percentage of .971, meaning that Hill performed above expected in all three offensive zones. The only other goalie to start 40 games and also outperform the expected save percentage last year was Vezina Trophy winner Connor Hellebuyck of the Winnipeg Jets.
One Tweak Could Be the Difference
One issue I’ve noticed while observing Hill is that he can play a bit deep in his crease. It’s likely a byproduct of his hulking size in net, but it can be to his detriment. He can be susceptible to shot deflections because of this, and he also can give up an occasional juicy rebound.
By moving up a bit in his crease, he could eliminate this issue. Already a sturdy goaltender when it comes to fighting for position, taking that little bit more of space could cut down shooting angles even more, reduce the frequency of deflections beating him and rebounds.
If he can do that, Binnington’s starting job is far from a guarantee. The winning experience of the Blues goaltender is a huge advantage, but Hill’s own success in the NHL combined with a career-best season pushing him into 2025-2026 makes him the biggest challenge for Canada’s starting goalie job.
