{"id":912389,"date":"2026-10-01T15:48:38","date_gmt":"2026-10-01T15:48:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/912389\/"},"modified":"2026-10-01T15:48:38","modified_gmt":"2026-10-01T15:48:38","slug":"australia-call-in-two-bolters-for-tests-with-star-hurt-the-standard","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/912389\/","title":{"rendered":"Australia call in two bolters for Tests with star hurt | The Standard"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"NicNic Maddinson has been called into Australia’s Test squad nearly a decade since he last played. Photo: Scott Barbour\/AAP PHOTOS<\/p>\n

Nic Maddinson is within touching distance of a remarkable return to the Test team, after Cameron Green’s abdominal strain left him in doubt for the series opener against South Africa.<\/p>\n

Selectors confirmed on Thursday night that Maddinson had been called into the Test squad, after not featuring in Australia’s red-ball side for almost 10 years.<\/p>\n

Sam Harper has also been drafted in as a back-up wicketkeeper, with a finger fracture now officially ruling Josh Inglis out of the first Test in Durban starting next Friday.<\/p>\n

Inglis was hurt while playing in the series-opening ODI against South Africa last week, with further scans back home in Perth revealing a fracture.<\/p>\n

\"CameronCameron Green is a big Test doubt after being injured in the Potchefstroom ODI. (AP PHOTO)<\/p>\n

There are now similar concerns around Green following the third ODI in Potchefstroom on Wednesday, after he hurt his abdomen trying to pull a ball while batting in Australia’s dead-rubber win.<\/p>\n

Australian medical staff will now keep close watch on the allrounder, who will be “assessed further” in the coming week.<\/p>\n

Regardless, the latest abdominal injury will raise question marks over Green’s ability to bowl, after having not done so yet in a game on this tour.<\/p>\n

The one bit of good news for Australia is opener Matt Renshaw has been cleared of a wrist injury after being hurt while fielding in the final ODI.<\/p>\n

But the injuries do leave Australia’s line-up for the first Test largely up in the air, with up to two spots in the top-six unclear if Green is not fit.<\/p>\n

Inglis had stood a chance to come into the side for Marnus Labuschagne, if selectors had opted to drop the Queenslander for the series opener.<\/p>\n

\"NicNic Maddinson last batted in a Test for Australia in the 2016 Boxing Day clash with Pakistan. (Julian Smith\/AAP PHOTOS)<\/p>\n

Maddinson could now fill one of those roles, with Cooper Connolly the other reserve batter in the Test squad.<\/p>\n

Maddinson last played a Test at Boxing Day in 2016, and has since overcome a battle with testicular cancer to restart his cricket career.<\/p>\n

The 34-year-old did not play a first-class match last summer, but struck 126 for NSW in a one-day match against Victoria last week.<\/p>\n

Harper looms as another option, after being called into his first Australian squad at age 29.<\/p>\n

\"SamSam Harper has been called into the Australian squad for the first time. (Joel Carrett\/AAP PHOTOS)<\/p>\n

The Victorian was the second-leading run-scorer in last summer’s Sheffield Shield with 677 at 35.63 and is fresh off hitting a century for Australia A against India A in Pudcherry.<\/p>\n

“Sam give us wicketkeeping cover as Josh continues his recovery while Nic provides flexibility throughout the batting order,” chief selector George Bailey said.<\/p>\n

Australia will play an intra-squad warm-up match in Potchefstroom this weekend, before moving to Durban on Monday to commence preparations for the first of three Tests.<\/p>\n

Australian Associated Press<\/p>\n

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Loading…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Nic Maddinson has been called into Australia’s Test squad nearly a decade since he last played. Photo: Scott…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":912390,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[64,63,44],"class_list":["post-912389","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-australia","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/912389","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=912389"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/912389\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/912390"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=912389"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=912389"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=912389"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}