South Australia captain prioritizes Sheffield Shield final but remains keen on overseas opportunities

Nathan McSweeney has expressed his willingness to play county cricket if the opportunity arises, as he aims to reclaim a spot in Australia’s Test squad. With one of the opening positions yet to be confirmed for the World Test Championship (WTC) final against South Africa at Lord’s in June, McSweeney is focused on making a strong case for selection.

The 25-year-old began the summer as Australia’s Test opener during the Border-Gavaskar series but was dropped after three matches in favor of Sam Konstas. McSweeney struggled against Jasprit Bumrah, managing just 72 runs in six innings. He later toured Sri Lanka but remained a reserve batter, with Konstas also left out and sent home to play in the Sheffield Shield, while Travis Head moved up to open and Josh Inglis slotted into the middle order.

Competing for the Opener’s Role

With Head set to return to No. 5 for the WTC final, Australia’s selectors face the challenge of finding a suitable opening partner for Usman Khawaja while also accommodating Cameron Green’s return as a specialist batter.

McSweeney strengthened his case with a resilient 60 off 199 balls for South Australia against Victoria at the Junction Oval, facing a challenging attack led by Scott Boland, who claimed four wickets on a green pitch. When asked if he saw the vacant opening spot in the WTC final as a way back into the Test team, he remained pragmatic.

“I don’t know,” McSweeney said. “All I can do is score runs consistently—that’s what earned me the opportunity in the first place. I’m happy to bat anywhere if the chance comes. For now, my focus is on making runs and hopefully helping South Australia reach the Shield final.”

He will have another innings in the current match before South Australia faces Queensland in the final round of the season. That match, along with a potential Shield final, will be his only competitive outings before the WTC final—unless he secures a county cricket opportunity in England.

County Cricket and Long-Term Development

“I’d love to play county cricket, but for now, I’m just staying in Adelaide,” McSweeney said. “I haven’t thought too far ahead beyond the next couple of weeks, which are crucial for South Australia. Hopefully, we finish this game well, make it to the Shield final, and take it from there. But after that, I’d love to head overseas and keep improving my game.”

His half-century against Victoria was a welcome return to form, coming after a lean spell. Since his Test omission in mid-December, he had played just three first-class innings, managing scores of 20 and 7 against Tasmania. He also had modest returns in South Australia’s final three Dean Jones Trophy matches, despite playing a key role with the ball in their dominant title win.

“It was nice to spend some time in the middle,” McSweeney reflected. “It’s been a bit of a stop-start season for me. While it wasn’t the big score I wanted, facing plenty of balls was valuable, and I hope to build on it in the second innings and score more freely.”

Lessons from Test Cricket

Selectors were impressed with McSweeney’s technical ability and temperament in his three-Test stint but had concerns over his scoring rate, which ultimately led to his omission. His innings at the Junction Oval showcased both his strengths and weaknesses—he displayed excellent defensive skills and patience against Test-quality spells from Boland but struggled to rotate the strike, particularly early in his innings. He became more proactive later but eventually edged a well-directed delivery from Victoria seamer Fergus O’Neill, who claimed five wickets with disciplined bowling.

Having experienced Test cricket firsthand, McSweeney acknowledges the need to refine his game by balancing his solid foundations with more diverse scoring options.

“It’s a mix of both,” he said. “I know what works for me in Shield cricket, but I also want to keep learning and improving. My Test experience provided valuable lessons, and I’m looking at ways to tweak my game for different scenarios. At the same time, I need to stick to what makes me a good player. It’s been a challenging but rewarding period, and I believe I’m better for it.”

South Australia’s Shield Final Plans

McSweeney confirmed that in-form wicketkeeper-batter Alex Carey would return to South Australia’s lineup for the Shield final if they qualify, though Travis Head will be unavailable due to IPL commitments.

For now, McSweeney’s priority remains domestic success, but if an overseas opportunity arises, he is eager to seize it as he continues his journey toward a potential Test recall.