Source :- PERTH NOW NEWS
Allan Border medallist Travis Head has high expectations for his opening partner Jake Weatherald ahead of a busy Test schedule.
After being crowned Australia’s top men’s cricketer for the second-straight year, Head and teammates are straight into preparing for the first Test against Bangladesh in Darwin, starting on Thursday.
It will be Australia’s first red-ball match since they ended the Ashes by winning at the SCG in January.
Head was a revelation last summer after memorably filling in as opener during the second innings in Perth.
While he played a crucial role in Australia retaining the urn, Weatherald averaged just 22.33 across the first five Tests of his career.
But Australia have persisted with the South Australian ahead of a demanding Test calendar during the next 12 months.
“He’s looked unbelievable this week,” Head told reporters when asked about Weatherald.
“The way he’s batted in the practice games against high-quality bowling in Pat (Cummins), ‘Starcy’ (Mitchell Starc) and ‘Hoff’ (Josh Hazlewood).
“I’ve got high expectations for him over the next couple of weeks.
“We temper that because of international cricket, but I just want to play my role and keep him in a good headspace.”
Head became the sixth player to win multiple Allan Border medals, joining Ricky Ponting, Michael Clarke, Shane Watson, David Warner and Steve Smith.
The left-handed blaster pipped wicketkeeper Alex Carey and star quick Mitchell Starc for the top honour.
“Very humbling,” Head said on Friday night.
“To have AB (Border) here is pretty awesome.”
Head polled 153 votes, just ahead of his South Australian teammate Alex Carey on 152.
Player of the Ashes, Mitchell Starc, finished third on 150 votes despite having ditched one of the three international formats.
Still a force in Tests and ODIs, Starc ended his T20 international career last September in a bid to extend his red-ball career.
Starc won the Shane Warne Test player-of-the-year award, while Mitchell Marsh took out the ODI award.
Big-hitting Tim David was named Australia’s best T20 player.
Head has become the ultimate big-game performer in world cricket, starring in home Ashes for the second-straight series.
Australia hierarchy were reluctant to use Head as an opener in fast, bouncy conditions.
But that all changed last summer, meaning the aggressive 32-year-old will be Australia’s Test opener all around the world.
“Different conditions will pose different threats,” Head said.
“Very pleased to be able to back it up and be consistent in an Ashes series.
“To put out those sort of numbers, not in a million years I thought I would be able to do that.”
