Glaring Australian issue laid bare as Renshaw backs Maddinson, selectors

Pressure is growing on the Australian cricket brains trust to inject more fresh blood into the Test set-up after the tourists fielded an XI entirely made up of players in their 30s for the opening match of the South Africa series.

Australia limped to stumps on day one of the Durban Test at 6-187, before Matthew Renshaw backed Nic Maddinson to come good after his shock recall produced a horror outcome: a 33-ball duck.

The Australian team picked for the Durban Test is the first Australian XI in history selected for an international match – men’s or women’s – that consists completely of players in their 30s.

The youngest player in the XI for the first match of the three-game series is 30-year-old Renshaw, who made his Test debut way back in 2016, and the average age is a tick under 35.

The oldest players are Nathan Lyon (38), Steve Smith (37), Mitchell Starc (36), Josh Hazlewood (35) and Alex Carey (35).

Cameron Green, 27, would be playing if he hadn’t suffered an abdominal strain in the final one-day international of the South Africa tour, but selection chairman George Bailey and head coach Andrew McDonald have for several years faced calls to freshen up the team with young talent.

Ricky Ponting hit out over Australian cricket’s stagnate approach to transition on the eve of the South Africa series.

“If it’s me, I’m sticking two young batters in there now,” the legendary batter told News Corp.

“... These young guys that have been talked about for the last couple of years, just give them a go … Pick them now, give them a go.

“If that doesn’t work, you can go back to the older guys in 12 months leading up to an Ashes or World Test Championship. But if you don’t do it, then it gets harder and harder and harder.”

Among the promising younger crop are Nathan McSweeney, Ollie Peake, Campbell Kellaway, Sam Konstas, Sam Elliott, Fergus O’Neill, Lance Morris and Todd Murphy.

No one – other than Bailey, McDonald and maybe captain Pat Cummins – could have seen the squad selection of Maddinson coming.

The left-hander hadn’t played Test cricket since 2016, and first-class cricket since March 2025, but was parachuted into the squad after Green was ruled out injured.

Australian cricket’s decision-making continued to baffle when Maddinson was sent out to open on day one instead of Renshaw, who slotted in at No.5.

Maddinson was fortunate to survive an lbw shout, with the South Africans choosing not to appeal before replays showed the Australian would have been given out had the hosts challenged.

Nonetheless, the New South Welshman departed for a 33-ball duck after chopping a Marco Jansen delivery onto his stumps.

Maddinson’s 33-ball duck is the longest duck by an Australian opener in Test history where balls-faced data is available.

Mark Waugh unloaded on selectors after Maddinson’s failure, accusing them of “throwing darts at a dartboard, hoping for a bullseye”.

Renshaw defended Maddinson, and by extension the selectors, at the close of play.

“I think it’s just what opening batters have to deal with,” Renshaw said of the difficulty of opening in Test cricket.

“I think we all know how hard it is to do that.

“Unfortunately for Maddo it wasn’t to be today, but we know that cricket’s a weird old game sometimes. I think sometimes you feel like it’s just one of those games.

“He’ll come out the other side of that.

“He’s fine; it’s just cricket.”