Amid Australia’s decision to call up 19-year-old Sam Konstas for the final two Tests of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against India, former cricketer Merv Hughes has expressed concern, labelling the move as a potential “panic” decision. Konstas, who could make his Test debut in the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), has replaced Nathan McSweeney, who struggled with only 72 runs at an average of 14.40 across the first three matches.

Nathan McSweeney, not a specialist opener, found it challenging to deal with India’s pace spearhead, Jasprit Bumrah, which led to his exclusion from the squad. Hughes, reflecting on the move, suggested that bringing Konstas in now, rather than at the start of the season, seemed reactionary.

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“It would have been a bold call bringing him in at the start of the season. Now it would almost be a panic call to me… Just stay calm. They drew the last Test. The last two Tests have been a draw and a win, so what is there to panic about?” Merve Hughes told The Courier Mail.

Konstas has quickly risen through the ranks, first catching attention with twin centuries in the Sheffield Shield opening round—an achievement that made him the first teenager to score such centuries since Ricky Ponting in 1993.

Additionally, Sam Konstas was a member of the Australian U19 World Cup-winning team in South Africa earlier this year, and he impressed again with a century for the Prime Minister’s XI in the warm-up match against India.

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Konstas also made a mark in the Big Bash League, becoming the youngest player to score a half-century for Sydney Thunder. He is expected to play for Thunder in their match against Sydney Sixers before flying to Melbourne to join the Australian squad ahead of the decisive fourth Test, with the series tied at 1-1.