Konstas trusting advice of his 'inner circle' ahead of Ashes push

Sam Konstas is fully aware he faces a "massive" run of Sheffield Shield matches early in the season if he is to retain his Test place for the start of the Ashes but is focused on shutting out much of the talk and trusting his inner circle.

Konstas endured a torrid series against West Indies where he made 50 runs in six innings albeit in challenging conditions where the top orders of both teams found life tough. They were his first Tests since bursting into the side against India last season, but he is now back in the pack as far as selection goes to face England in November.

He has resumed training with New South Wales having taken a break after the tour and will return to playing on the four-day leg of the Australia A tour of India next month. That trip has a longer lens from the selectors - Australia have a five-Test tour in early 2027 - so while runs won't hurt Konstas' shorter-term ambitions, of most relevance will be what he's able to do in the early rounds of the Shield in October.

"It's massive, it's going to be a big four games and I expect that," Konstas said on the day a new four-year deal with Sydney Thunder in the BBL was announced that will keep him at the club until 2029. "But for me, [it's about] just being in the present moment, don't get too fixated about the outcome and just be very process-driven in those games. Not getting too fazed about what other people say, and obviously have that inner circle that I trust.

"For me it's just trying to best prepare, and then obviously trusting what I think is right in that current moment," Konstas added. "It was my first time playing in the West Indies, and first time facing those bowlers. They bowled well and hopefully I can build from that experience.

"Adopting the right mindset, training hard, not leaving any regrets. For me, that's the big thing, just the way I prepare, and especially with the people that I trust, having honest conversations with them when necessary and leaving it to that."

Jack Edwards, the New South Wales captain who will also be part of the Australia A tour, has been training alongside Konstas in recent weeks

"He definitely doesn't hold onto it [the tour] for too long," Edwards told ESPNcricinfo. "It's great to have him around. He's working extremely hard at his game as he always does, hitting a mountain of balls...such a young man, he's definitely going to have a long career for Australia."

Konstas spoke of leaning on Steven Smith and David Warner, his captain at Thunder, for advice. "I'm very lucky to be working with the best in the world," he said.

Picked for Australia after just 11 first-class matches, it's been acknowledged by the coaching staff that Konstas has been doing a lot of his developing at the top level although there is a belief in the set-up that the setbacks in West Indies won't do long-term harm.

"I'm still learning about my game and finding what works in different conditions," he said. "Understanding the situations, when to soak up pressure [and] when to attack the game."

That's where Warner has been a valuable sounding board for him. "I just like his mindset, to be honest," Konstas said. "He takes the game on and he's very aggressive. He's always trying to dictate terms in the way he likes to."

Still only 19 - he turns 20 early in October - Konstas is trying to keep a level head. "As an athlete, you're going to go through failures and successes, but I tell you, build from those failures and become a better person and cricketer."