GEORGIE PARKER: Sam Konstas’ confidence is just what the Australian Test team needs but it comes at a risk

Sam Konstas has been the talk of the cricketing world and rightly so.

The young man has burst onto the scene, managing to spark interest from those who rarely watch cricket.

He is exactly what this sport, which so often can be stuffy, pretentious and old, needed.

But I do get anxious about how thin the young and exciting tag will wear on his teammates and the Australian public, particularly if we aren’t winning or he’s not playing well.

I don’t want him to change, because dampening a personality like this would be such a shame, but I do want him to make sure he has the skills required for what could on the other side if he does not score runs (which is inevitable at some point during his career), and for when he is the target of the opposition and media. Moreso than he has been already by the Indians.

Only he can know whether or not he can handle the pressure of being the player with the target on his back.

I hope he finds the balance that helps him be the best player he can be and be the best teammate he can be. That is where the real champions shine.

Within a team you have to balance multiple things. You have to be somewhat selfish to get the best out of yourself, while also being selflessness, to get the best out of your team.

How that can come across looks different for every person and how they fit in the team.

Konstas is a kid from a generation that I don’t understand.

He’s the first of the Gen Zs to play for Australia, and that American style confidence that they have grown up watching is clearly on show.

But, within a team’s balance you also need to adapt, which is what he’ll need to do to enjoy longevity in his career.

As a kid, you need to mature a bit, and act older than what a teenager should, but at the other end of the ledger the oldies also need to be youthful in spirit as they bond with Konstas.

Pat Cummins has been adamant no one in the dressing room is telling him to curb his enthusiasm, despite calls from many former players Konstas needs to tone down the brash behaviour.

An athlete’s continual evolution is what creates their legacy, not just how they are perceived by the sporting public but also by their teammates and rivals.

I, just as I’m sure many of the mid 30-year-olds in the Australian team, do not understand teenagers today, but we don’t need to.

We just need to appreciate that they do things a little differently, guide them and help them tinker their game when they ask for help while completely embracing their quirks and confidence.

Because I tell you what it’s so much easier to control confidence than it is to find confidence - just ask the rest of our batters about that one.