Patient Aussies say rising teen won’t Peake too early
Jasper Bruce |
Andrew McDonald is urging patience with Ollie Peake, warning Australia could give the wunderkind “a long break” from international cricket after his likely debut on the tour of Pakistan.
Australia are poised to unleash their next batting phenom in the one-day international tour that begins on Saturday after naming Peake in his first senior squad.
“It’s not a development opportunity. Ollie’s been picked for a reason,” said Australia coach McDonald.
“We look forward to what unfolds and hopefully an opportunity in Pakistan.”
Still only 19, Peake arrives on the international scene with a glittering resume.
Peake is already a mainstay at first-class and BBL levels, made back-to-back centuries captaining Australia at this year’s Under-19s World Cup, and was invited to spend time with the Test squad on tour of Sri Lanka last year.
McDonald has known Peake far longer, having played first-class cricket for Victoria at the same time as his father Clinton.
But since McDonald began dropping in to watch him play club cricket in Geelong a few years back, the young left-hander has been impressing the coach in his own right.
“It feels like he’s got a maturity about his game, and his game sense is advanced,” McDonald said.
“Everyone talks about his game sense, but there’s a highly skilled player that understands his method at a young age.”
There is particular intrigue around Australia’s next generation of talent, given an ageing Test squad and a transition period that looms in the coming years.
Of the 16 Australian players used in the 2025/26 Ashes, only out-of-form Cameron Green and injury-plagued Jhye Richardson were under 30.
Australia’s last young batter let loose on the Test arena, Sam Konstas, was the subject of intense public and media interest in the 2024/25 home series against India.
That interest only intensified when he was dropped for the following series against Sri Lanka, and then again after his return in the West Indies.
McDonald stressed he would not compare Peake to other players also touted as future Test cricket regulars.
But he said, as with Konstas, it would be natural for Peake’s early international caps to possibly come in clusters.
“Generally, when we have a young player come in, there’s a rush, we build it up and we try to make it work almost,” McDonald said.
“Let’s just be patient. Understand international cricket is difficult and he’s taking a significant leap up. I don’t want to compare it to the Sam (situation), all I’m saying is we sort of asked you guys (the media) for a bit of patience around Sam.
“He was entering into Test cricket, and Sammy will come again. This may be a case here that ‘Peakey’ gets an opportunity and then has a long break out of international cricket and then comes back in.”
That would be fine by McDonald, who insists that, as with Konstas, Peake will ultimately be better off for early international cricket – even if it is followed by time out of the set-up.
“I don’t want to make this about Sam, but (people say), ‘did you pick him too early? Should he have gone to Sri Lanka?’,” McDonald said.
“I look at it and go, Test matches under his belt at that age, surely long-term that’s a good thing for us as a team, and for the player in general.
“We feel as though this experience at the right time, across the journey, should be beneficial (for Peake).”
AAP