Nic Maddinson and Lachlan Shaw will lead the Blues under new coach Brad Haddin in 2026-27

Details on new NSW skippers as Edwards shifts focus

Nic Maddinson will return to the Sheffield Shield this summer as New South Wales captain, with the Blues also unveiling young gun Lachlan Shaw as their new one-day skipper for 2026-27.

The pair’s appointments are the latest in a raft of leadership changes under new head coach Brad Haddin, who has brought in Peter Forrest, Daniel Smith, Peter Siddle and Johan Botha as his assistants since taking over from Greg Shipperd.

Maddinson and Shaw replace fast-bowling allrounder Jack Edwards, who has stepped back from captaincy duties to focus on his performance and managing his workloads.

They will be supported by vice-captain Sean Abbott and experienced batter Kurtis Patterson, who stood-in as captain during the second half of last season and led the state to the One-Day Cup title.

Maddinson missed all of the 2025-26 Shield season after overcoming testicular cancer last year, playing just five matches for Sydney Thunder plus a NSW Second XI fixture across the entire summer.

He has returned to full health and fitness ahead of the 2026-27 campaign and is set to lead the Blues for the first time since 2016.

The 34-year-old, who returned to play for his native state two seasons ago, brings extensive captaincy experience, having led Melbourne Renegades for BBL|11 to |13, as well as Australia A in 2021 and standing in for Victoria’s Sheffield Shield team in 2022.

He has previously captained NSW in six first-class matches during the 2015-16 season.

“Captaining the NSW Blues is a huge privilege … and it’s an honour to join a list of incredible players who have led this team over the years,” Maddinson said in a statement.

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“Being entrusted with the NSW captaincy is something I don’t take for granted, and I look forward to working alongside the playing group and coaching staff throughout the summer.”

Shaw, part of Australia A’s 50-over tour of India last year, takes on the one-day captaincy just 14 matches into his List A career.

The 23-year-old right-hander finished last summer among the runs with half-centuries in consecutive Shield matches, and became a regular in the Sydney Sixers’ side during KFC BBL|15 with several handy cameos from the middle order.

Shaw’s elevation to the job is part of Haddin’s goal to develop new leaders within the Blues group.

“Lachie’s been very impressive since day one,” Haddin told cricket.com.au. “He’s a high-quality player, has a great cricket IQ and he’s one of those guys that people gravitate to.

“I thought we needed to have a look at a few different options for our leadership, and both (Shaw and Maddinson) fit that perfectly.”

On Patterson, who seemed an obvious candidate to replace Edwards after standing in last season, Haddin added: “I just want ‘KP’ to play.

“His game is as sharp as I’ve ever seen it. If he can start the season well, I’m not sure where KP ends up … because there are batting spots available (for Australia), I think, if he gets runs.”

Shaw, an electric fielder who played in Australia’s Under-19 World Cup team in 2022 under Cooper Connolly, will become the Blues’ 37th one-day captain when they kick off their Dean Jones Trophy defence against Queensland on Tuesday.

“We have a seriously talented playing group at the Blues and I’m confident we have the makings of a team that can push for titles,” he said.

“I can’t wait to kick off our title defence when the One-Day Cup campaign commences next week.”