Sam Konstas’ flatulence wasn’t on anyone’s Ashes squad announcement bingo card when head selector George Bailey fronted a press conference on the Gold Coast on Wednesday.

“I feel for Sammy,” Bailey told reporters, just minutes after informing the 20-year-old batsman he had been axed from the Australian Test team ahead of the opening Ashes clash in Perth in 16 days’ time.

Sam Konstas. Credit: Getty Images for Cricket Australia

“I feel like at the moment, if he farts, it’s a headline.”

Since Boxing Day last year, when he blazed 60 off 65 balls and ramped India’s Jasprit Bumrah like it was a game of backyard cricket, Konstas has been a lightning rod for attention.

There has been no shortage of headlines, but the clicks tell the story – Australia remains fascinated by Konstas and whet

See Full Page